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When Jenny Jones accepted a job with the Environmental Protection Agency, an agency official told her the government would pick up the tab for certain moving expenses.

Jones incurred costs while living in a temporary residence and searching for a new home when she started her job with the government. But when she sought reimbursement, the agency's finance office denied her request. According to federal regulations, the government cannot reimburse new hires for house-hunting and temporary housing costs. The Federal Travel Regulation does allow agencies to reimburse certain expenses, including transportation costs of household goods and family members, for new hires.

Jones and the EPA filed a claim with the Board of Contract Appeals asking the panel to forward the case to the General Services Administration's deputy associate administrator.

Under a pilot program started in 2000, the board can refer certain extraordinary cases for consideration by the GSA's deputy associate administrator in the office of transportation and personal property. The test program allows the associate administrator to grant administrative relief for certain claims that should be "honored for equitable reasons."

The EPA argued that Jones' case was unique in part because her travel orders explicitly authorized reimbursement for house-hunting and temporary housing costs, she was not trying to take advantage of the government, and she was able to start work on time because of the government's promise to reimburse her.

But the board disagreed that Jones' case was extraordinary enough to grant her administrative - and financial--relief. "Although we agree with EPA that the agency acted unfairly in telling Ms. Jones it would pay costs for which the law precludes reimbursement, we do not believe that the circumstances are so egregious" that Jones was entitled to relief, the board said. And Jones could have consulted the laws herself and realized she was not entitled to the reimbursement, according to the board.

In the Matter of Jenny L.W. Jones, Board of Contract Appeals, General Services Administration (GSBCA 15808-RELO), April 26, 2002.

Fair Fare

In July 2001, Shari Lenard, a Veterans Affairs employee in Illinois, enrolled in a four-day technical writing course offered at a location 20 miles from her home. Lenard did not own a car and in November 2001--two days before the training began--she asked her agency's travel official for permission to rent a car to get to and from the course. Lenard's request was denied and her supervisor told her to attend the class until she could find a coworker to take her place. Lenard couldn't find a substitute, so her supervisor told her to finish taking the class. Lenard borrowed a car for the first two days of the class and took a taxi for the last two days.

When Lenard asked the agency to reimburse her for the taxi fare, VA officials denied her request because she was not authorized to use taxis for local travel. According to agency officials, Lenard registered for the course on her own, not at management's request, and she knew when she registered for the class how far it was from her home and that she did not own a car. The agency did pay $2,202 for the training.

Lenard asked the General Services Administration Board of Contract Appeals to review the agency's decision. The Board ruled that VA was right in denying her claim.

In the matter of Shari Lenard, Board of Contract Appeals, General Services Administration (GSBCA 15759-TRAV), March 28, 2002.

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