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                             January 23, 1997
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                             GSBCA 13878-RELO


                     In the Matter of WILLIAM ARCHILLA


     William Archilla, Homestead, FL, Claimant.

     G.A. Terrill, Chief, Travel Division, Defense Finance and
Accounting Service, Columbus, OH, appearing for the Department of
Defense.

BORWICK, Board Judge. 

     Claimant, William Archilla, an employee of the Defense
Logistics Agency (DLA), Homestead Air Force Base, FL, seeks
reconsideration of the decision  of the General Accounting Office
(GAO),  William Archilla, B-271204 (July 2, 1996), denying his
claim for temporary quarters subsistence expense (TQSE) allowance,
and travel expenses for his family, and refusing to submit the
claim to Congress pursuant to the Meritorious Claims Act (MCA), 31
U.S.C.  3702(d).  We conclude that GAO's opinion was correct.  

     Claimant was a new employee at DLA, having been hired from the
private sector to work in the Defense Contract Management Command
International (DCMCI), an organizational component of DLA.  His
travel orders, however, had erroneously been issued to reflect
relocation benefits available only to transfer of Federal
employees, as opposed to new appointees. 

     Claimant relocated from Columbus, GA to Homestead Air Force
Base, FL and  incurred travel and  subsistence expenses for his
family during his travel and relocation in the area of Homestead. 
He claimed $2,883.96.  The GAO properly denied the claim.  Under
statute and the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), and the Department
of Defense Civilian Personnel Joint Travel Regulations, new
appointees are entitled to their travel expenses, including per
diem for the appointee, transportation for the appointee's
immediate family members, mileage if a privately owned vehicle is
used in the travel, transportation and temporary storage of
household goods (as set forth elsewhere in the FTR or JTR), non-
temporary storage of household goods if appointed to an isolated
location, and transportation of mobile homes, if applicable.  5
U.S.C.  5726 (1994); 41 CFR 302-1.10(e) (1994), JTR C4051 E. 
Family per diem, cost of house-hunting trip, subsistence while
occupying temporary quarters, miscellaneous expense allowance,
residence sale and purchase expenses, lease breaking expenses and
location services are not allowable expenses.  41 CFR 302-1.10(f),
JTR C4051 F.  

     Erroneous travel orders do not justify  payment in excess of
statutory and regulatory authorization.  Chesley E. Kimbrel, GSBCA
13680-RELO (Nov. 21, 1996); Thomas G. Croymans, B-245203, et al.
(June 14, 1992). 

     Claimant states that had he known the true extent of his
allowances, he would have left his family in Columbus, GA until he
arranged for permanent quarters.  In his request for
reconsideration, claimant maintains that GAO erroneously refused to
submit his claim under the MCA to Congress as a meritorious claim,
given his reliance on the erroneous travel orders to incur
$2,883.96 of expenses.  Meritorious claims submissions are not
within our delegated or statutory authority, and we do not address
this matter.  See Pub. L. No. 104-316,  202(n), 110 Stat 3826,
3843 (1996).  


                              _________________________
                              ANTHONY S. BORWICK
                              Board Judge