[Request for Advance Decision Concerning Employee's Claim for Reimbursement of Relocation Expenses]

A Federal Bureau of Investigation employee filed a reclaim voucher for reimbursement for expenses she incurred in relocating her mobile home incident to a transfer. She claimed that: (1) she should be reimbursed for all of the expenses she incurred in preparing, shipping, and reassembling her mobile home since the agency had informed her that the government would bear all of the costs; and (2) federal regulations discriminate against mobile home owners who must bear most of their relocation expenses, whereas employees who move between conventional homes are entitled to real estate expenses. GAO held that: (1) the expenses of preparing and reassembling a mobile home were only allowable under the statutory provision for reimbursement of miscellaneous expenses and were limited to a maximum reimbursement of 1 week's pay for an employee without an immediate family; (2) since regulations specifically exclude costs for newly acquired items, the cost of tires and axles necessary to prepare a mobile home for transportation was not reimbursable; and (3) an employee selling a mobile home at his old duty station and purchasing a mobile home at his new duty station would be entitled to real estate expenses to the same extent as if he had bought and sold any other type of residence. Accordingly, with the exception of the tires and axles, the claim was allowed.