# 2021-035 Pay and Benefits, Home Equity Assistance Program, Canadian Forces Integrated Relocation Program, Capital Improvements in accordance with article 8.2.10 of the CFIRP

Case summary

F&R Date: 2021-10-18

The grievor alleged that representatives of Brookfield Global Relocation Services, the relocation service provider for Canadian Armed Forces members, had committed professional misconduct by providing them with incorrect information. The grievor had made significant personal and financial decisions based on that information and was aggrieved by the changes to the Canadian Forces Integrated Relocation Program (CFIRP) Directive – specifically, the removal of the capital improvement benefit for all principal residences sold after 19 April 2018. The grievor considered that the purchase price should have included the amount they had paid for initial landscaping of their residence.

The Director General Compensation and Benefits, acting as the Initial Authority (IA), concluded that the grievor had filed their grievance outside of the required three-month timeframe. Accordingly, the IA refused to render a decision on the grievance.

Because the sale of the grievor's principal residence occurred after 19 April 2018, the Committee concluded that they were not entitled to the capital improvement benefit. However, the Committee concluded that under section 8.2.13 of the CFIRP Directive, Home Equity Assistance, certain initial landscaping costs paid by the grievor during their first year occupying the residence should have been included in the purchase price.

The Committee recommended that the Final Authority order a reimbursement (from core benefits and custom envelopes) to the grievor for the home equity loss incurred because of the sale of their principal residence.