5.3 REMOVAL EXPENSES

Regulation 27

 Annex 19

5.3.1       Eligibility

An officer is entitled to removal expenses in the following circumstances:

• When they join the service in the rank of ACC or above; or
• Where the chief constable is of the view that a serving officer requires to move home due to exigencies of duty or in the interest of the efficiency of the service.

5.3.2          Cost of Removal

Entitlement includes:

• The reasonably incurred cost of removal (unless the service carry out the removal)
• The officer is also entitled to items of expenditure incidental to the move, not covered by the determinations, if the officer can demonstrate the necessity of the expenditure.
• To qualify for reimbursement, an item of removal expenditure must be necessary, reasonable and backed by a receipt.

5.3.3       Selling Former Home

• Reasonably incurred expenses in the connection with its disposal or, with the approval of the Authority, reasonably incurred expenses in connection with the renting of that former home to tenants.

5.3.4       Purchasing a New Home

(a) Reasonably incurred expenses in connection with the acquisition of the new home, provided that they were the owner of the former home or the Authority, after consulting with the chief constable, are satisfied that the officer could neither have been provided with suitable accommodation or been reasonably expected to find suitable rented accommodation within a reasonable distance of their place of duty.

(b) However where the Authority are of the opinion that the constable could have acquired a suitable home for an amount less than that actually paid, they may restrict the reimbursement of expenses directly related to the amount paid, to expenses which would have been reasonably incurred had the officer paid that lesser amount.

5.3.5     Reasonable Expenses included when Selling and Buying

Any reference to expenses incurred in connection with the disposal or acquisition of any property is to be construed as including, in particular, estate agent’s, auctioneer’s and solicitor’s fees, stamp duty and expenses in connection with the discharge, redemption, transfer or taking out of a heritable security or mortgage; and any reference to expenses incurred in connection with the acquisition of any property is to be construed as also including expenses in connection with the contemplated acquisition of a property other than that acquired.

5.3.6          Covering Cost of Relevant Liabilities

(a)   Where the officer was the owner of the former home they must be reimbursed payments made to meet relevant liabilities for the first 26 weeks following the move.

(b)   Relevant liabilities are liabilities in respect to mortgage interest or rent payable in connection with the officer’s former home and the cost of any days that the officer is liable for council tax payments on their former home. 

(c)       The authority may decide, if they think fit, to provide payments for a further period.

(d)   Where the authority are of the opinion that the officer has not taken all reasonable steps to reduce or terminate the liability to make such payments, they may restrict the reimbursement to payments which the officer would have been liable to make had they taken all such steps.