Board of Contract Appeals

                 General Services Administration

                      Washington, D.C. 20405





                          _____________



                          July 27, 2006

                          _____________





                         GSBCA 16888-RELO





                In the Matter of RONALD R. FOREMAN





     Ronald R. Foreman, White City, OR, Claimant.



     JoAnne Rountree, Supervisor, Travel Section, Financial Services Center, Department

of Veterans Affairs, Austin, TX, appearing for Department of Veterans Affairs.



GOODMAN, Board Judge.



     Claimant, Ronald R. Foreman, is an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

He asks this Board to review the agency's denial of reimbursement of real estate expenses

incurred during a permanent change of station (PCS) move.



                       Factual Background



     Claimant accomplished a PCS move from Roseburg, Oregon, to White City, Oregon,

with a report date of May 16, 2002.  He purchased a home on January 31, 2006, at his new

duty station, and on March 17, 2006, he submitted a travel voucher to the agency for

reimbursement of  real estate expenses incurred in the purchase of the home.  With his travel

voucher, claimant included a memorandum dated February 21, 2006, which states, "I am

certain that I expressed a desire in writing to extend the date for two years; neither [the

agency] [n]or I can find a copy of the memo asking or authorizing the extension."  The

agency denied the claim because it did not have sufficient evidence that claimant had

requested or received an extension of time within which to complete his real estate

transaction. 



                                                           Discussion

                                

     The Federal Travel Regulation effective on the date claimant reported to his new duty

station required that the settlement dates for real estate transactions for which reimbursement

is requested must not be later than two years after the date the employee reported for duty

at the new duty station.  Upon an employee's written request, this two-year limitation period

may be extended by the head of the agency or his/her designee for an additional period of

time not to exceed two years.  The employee's written request should be submitted to the

appropriate official before the expiration of the two-year limitation, but in no case later than

thirty calendar days after the expiration date unless this thirty-day period is specifically

extended by the agency.  Approval of this additional period shall be based on a determination

that extenuating circumstances, acceptable to the agency, have prevented the employee from

completing the transaction in the initial time period.  41 CFR 302-11.22, -11.23 (2002); 66

Fed. Reg. 58,194 (Nov. 20, 2001).



     While claimant asserts that he requested and received an extension of the initial two-

year period, he was unable to provide evidence of the request and subsequent approval. 

Under these circumstances, the agency correctly determined that claimant did not fulfill the

regulatory requirements for reimbursement, as his transaction occurred after the expiration

of the initial two-year period.  We suggest that claimant continue to search for the

documentation that he believes exists to support his request for and receipt of the extension,

and that he resubmit his claim to the agency if he finds this documentation.



                            Decision

                                

     The claim is denied.







                                   ___________________________________

                                   ALLAN H. GOODMAN

                                   Board Judge