§ 302-16.8 What are examples of types of costs covered by the MEA?

Miscellaneous expenses are costs associated with relocating that are not covered by other relocation benefits detailed in this chapter. Expenses allowable include but are not limited to the following, and similar, items:

(a) Fees for disconnecting and connecting utilities (such as gas, water, electricity), appliances, equipment (such as a security system or electric vehicle charging station), or conversion of appliances for operation on available utilities;

(b) Fees for cutting and fitting rugs, draperies, and curtains when they are moved from one residence to another;

(c) Deposits or fees for utilities not offset by eventual refunds;

(d) Losses that cannot be recovered by transfer or refund and are incurred due to early termination of a contract (e.g., medical, dental, private institutional care for immediate family members with disabilities, nonrefundable education enrollment fee, real estate expenses connected with the cancellation of a contract when a new transfer prevented the employee from completing a purchase of a residence);

(e) Automobile registration, driver's license, and use taxes imposed when initially bringing privately-owned vehicles (POVs) into certain jurisdictions;

(f) Reinstalling or removing automobile parts upon vehicle reentry into the United States or entry into a foreign country, when removal or installation of those automobile parts was required by host country law;

(g) Post office box rental fee when rented to provide a constant mailing address between the time an employee departs the old residence and occupies a residence at the new official station;

(h) Rental agent fees customarily charged for securing housing in foreign countries;

(i) Reassembly, set up, and tuning of a piano moved for relocation;

(j) Pet care (for cats and dogs only), child care, or adult care for dependent parents or other adult dependents incapable of self-care at home while the employee or spouse are away on a househunting trip, or are packing or unpacking;

(k) Rental car fees while awaiting a delayed POV shipment to or from OCONUS if the transportation service provider (TSP) has not arranged for the employee's use of a rental car at TSP expense. Reimbursement may be authorized starting after the shipping company designated delivery date, shall not exceed 10 days, and does not include the days after the POV is delivered or a new POV is purchased at location. The rental car for the employee and immediate family members must be the same or comparable size or model as the POV the employee shipped;

(l) Transportation and quarantine of pets (cats and dogs only). Costs normally associated with the transportation, quarantine fees, and handling of dogs and cats. This includes pet-related costs due to air carrier rules or imposed by the law of the jurisdiction of the employee's new residence as an integral part of the process of admissions and licensing;

(m) Professional relicensing fees required by the new official station that are directly related to the employee's occupation, such as fees required to take the bar exam or teaching certification; and professional relicensing fees or business costs (including exam, continuing education courses, business license, permit, and registration fees) that are directly related to the immediate family member's occupation, when the immediate family member was licensed or certified in a profession, or owned a business, at the employee's previous official station and is required to secure or maintain a new professional license or certification, or business license or permit, to engage in that profession in a new jurisdiction because of unique licensing or certification requirements and authorities; or

(n) Specialized shipment of hazardous materials, such as lithium batteries, when Federal, state, local, and foreign country laws or carrier regulations prohibit commercial shipment of certain articles not included as part of household goods, which cannot be otherwise transported to the new official station because of shipping and transportation restrictions.