partial assignment contract

Partial Assignment of Contract: Everything You Need to Know

A partial assignment of contract occurs when the assignor of a contract is assigning a portion of his or her contractual right. 3 min read updated on January 01, 2024

A partial assignment of contract occurs when the assignor of a contract is assigning a portion of his or her contractual right. This can only occur if the other involved party can perform that portion of the contractual obligation separately from the rest of the obligations.

Under a legally enforceable contract, an assignment is the transfer of rights to receive a specific performance in return. When a contract is assigned, the obligee, or the party who holds the right to receive a benefit from a contract, chooses to transfer his or her right to receive that benefit from the obligor, or the party who has the duty to perform on the action. This right is transferred to the assignee, who is a third party in the arrangement. By doing so, the obligee then becomes an assignor, or someone who is issuing an assignment.

Any and all rights are assignable, except:

• Those that alter the material obligations or risks of the other contracted party.
• Those under a contract that prohibits assignment. If this occurs, the resulting action is a breach not a nullification of the contract.
• Those in which the obligor has an interest in transferring the performance to the party holding the right to receive the benefit, rather than a third party.

Assignments can be made in any form and do not require consideration for validation. An oral or written act or statement indicating the intention to transfer a right can act as an assignment. However, in some cases, those involved in a contract cannot go through the process of assignment.

Method of Assignment: Manifesting Assent

To make an assignment, the assignor must understand it clearly and intend to make the assignment at that exact time. The assignor cannot promise to make an assignment at a future date. Additionally, the assignor must express his or her intention to make the transfer of rights to the third party. This action puts the assignment into effect. The intention of an assignor must indicate an effective assignment that doesn't require any further manifestation of intention or further action.

Partial Assignments

The assignor of a contract can legally assign a portion of a contractual right . However, this action can only be taken if the contract obligor is able to perform that portion of the obligation separately from the other obligations included in the agreement.

Assignor's Warranties

Additionally, if an assignment is created in exchange for value, the assignor is making three implied warranties, according to the Restatement (Second) of Contracts. These implied warranties are:

• The assignor will not take action to impair or impact the assignment's value and has no knowledge of any information that would impair or impact the value.
• The right being assigned is not subject to any defenses or limitations against the assignor and actually exists.
• Any documentation shown or given as evidence to the assignee is genuine, accurate, and what it promises to be.

An assignor of a contract does not guarantee any type of payment. The action of assignment doesn't provide any type of warranty on its own that the obligor is agreeing to perform.

Method of Assignment: Notice

When going through the process of assignment, it is not required to provide notice to the obligor. However, if an obligor renders performance to an assignor without notifying the involved parties of that assignment, it can be discharged. In this case, the performance of that contract would be transferred to the assignee.

Effect of Assignment: Exceptions

In some cases, defenses may be asserted. These allowed defenses are called real defenses and include fraud in the execution, duress, infancy, and others.

When Are Assignments Ineffective: Material Change in Duties of the Obligor

If an assignment effectively changes the obligor's required duties, it is ruled ineffective.

When Are Assignments Ineffective: Assignment of Personal Rights

When an obligor receives the benefit of the duty to perform as assigned under a contract, receiving that benefit becomes a personal right that no one can assign.

When Are Assignments Ineffective: Future Contracts

Contract laws distinguish between assigning rights arising from a future contract and assigning future rights from a current contract.

Successive Assignments

An exception to the assignment rules relates to making successive assignments. If a subsequent assignee in good faith provides consideration for that assignment and holds to prior knowledge, the assignee takes precedence for obtaining payment, judgment, or performance from the assignor.

If you need help with a partial assignment of contract, you can post your legal need on UpCounsel's marketplace. UpCounsel accepts only the top 5 percent of lawyers to its site. Lawyers on UpCounsel come from law schools such as Harvard Law and Yale Law and average 14 years of legal experience, including work with or on behalf of companies like Google, Menlo Ventures, and Airbnb.

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Content Approved by UpCounsel

• Assignment of Rights and Obligations Under a Contract
• Assignment of Rights Example
• Assignment Contract Law
• What Is the Definition of Assigns
• Assignment Of Contracts
• Assignment Law
• Legal Assignment
• Assignment of Contract Rights
• Delegation vs Assignment
• Assignment and Novation Agreement: What You Need to Know

Understanding an assignment and assumption agreement

Need to assign your rights and duties under a contract? Learn more about the basics of an assignment and assumption agreement.

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by   Belle Wong, J.D.

Belle Wong, is a freelance writer specializing in small business, personal finance, banking, and tech/SAAS. She ...

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Updated on: November 24, 2023 · 3min read

The assignment and assumption agreement

The basics of assignment and assumption, filling in the assignment and assumption agreement.

While every business should try its best to meet its contractual obligations, changes in circumstance can happen that could necessitate transferring your rights and duties under a contract to another party who would be better able to meet those obligations.

If you find yourself in such a situation, and your contract provides for the possibility of assignment, an assignment and assumption agreement can be a good option for preserving your relationship with the party you initially contracted with, while at the same time enabling you to pass on your contractual rights and duties to a third party.

An assignment and assumption agreement is used after a contract is signed, in order to transfer one of the contracting party's rights and obligations to a third party who was not originally a party to the contract. The party making the assignment is called the assignor, while the third party accepting the assignment is known as the assignee.

In order for an assignment and assumption agreement to be valid, the following criteria need to be met:

• The initial contract must provide for the possibility of assignment by one of the initial contracting parties.
• The assignor must agree to assign their rights and duties under the contract to the assignee.
• The assignee must agree to accept, or "assume," those contractual rights and duties.
• The other party to the initial contract must consent to the transfer of rights and obligations to the assignee.

A standard assignment and assumption contract is often a good starting point if you need to enter into an assignment and assumption agreement. However, for more complex situations, such as an assignment and amendment agreement in which several of the initial contract terms will be modified, or where only some, but not all, rights and duties will be assigned, it's a good idea to retain the services of an attorney who can help you draft an agreement that will meet all your needs.

When you're ready to enter into an assignment and assumption agreement, it's a good idea to have a firm grasp of the basics of assignment:

• First, carefully read and understand the assignment and assumption provision in the initial contract. Contracts vary widely in their language on this topic, and each contract will have specific criteria that must be met in order for a valid assignment of rights to take place.
• All parties to the agreement should carefully review the document to make sure they each know what they're agreeing to, and to help ensure that all important terms and conditions have been addressed in the agreement.
• Until the agreement is signed by all the parties involved, the assignor will still be obligated for all responsibilities stated in the initial contract. If you are the assignor, you need to ensure that you continue with business as usual until the assignment and assumption agreement has been properly executed.

Unless you're dealing with a complex assignment situation, working with a template often is a good way to begin drafting an assignment and assumption agreement that will meet your needs. Generally speaking, your agreement should include the following information:

• Identification of the existing agreement, including details such as the date it was signed and the parties involved, and the parties' rights to assign under this initial agreement
• The effective date of the assignment and assumption agreement
• Identification of the party making the assignment (the assignor), and a statement of their desire to assign their rights under the initial contract
• Identification of the third party accepting the assignment (the assignee), and a statement of their acceptance of the assignment
• Identification of the other initial party to the contract, and a statement of their consent to the assignment and assumption agreement
• A section stating that the initial contract is continued; meaning, that, other than the change to the parties involved, all terms and conditions in the original contract stay the same

In addition to these sections that are specific to an assignment and assumption agreement, your contract should also include standard contract language, such as clauses about indemnification, future amendments, and governing law.

Sometimes circumstances change, and as a business owner you may find yourself needing to assign your rights and duties under a contract to another party. A properly drafted assignment and assumption agreement can help you make the transfer smoothly while, at the same time, preserving the cordiality of your initial business relationship under the original contract.

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• assignments basic law

Assignments: The Basic Law

The assignment of a right or obligation is a common contractual event under the law and the right to assign (or prohibition against assignments) is found in the majority of agreements, leases and business structural documents created in the United States.

As with many terms commonly used, people are familiar with the term but often are not aware or fully aware of what the terms entail. The concept of assignment of rights and obligations is one of those simple concepts with wide ranging ramifications in the contractual and business context and the law imposes severe restrictions on the validity and effect of assignment in many instances. Clear contractual provisions concerning assignments and rights should be in every document and structure created and this article will outline why such drafting is essential for the creation of appropriate and effective contracts and structures.

The reader should first read the article on Limited Liability Entities in the United States and Contracts since the information in those articles will be assumed in this article.

Basic Definitions and Concepts:

An assignment is the transfer of rights held by one party called the “assignor” to another party called the “assignee.” The legal nature of the assignment and the contractual terms of the agreement between the parties determines some additional rights and liabilities that accompany the assignment. The assignment of rights under a contract usually completely transfers the rights to the assignee to receive the benefits accruing under the contract. Ordinarily, the term assignment is limited to the transfer of rights that are intangible, like contractual rights and rights connected with property. Merchants Service Co. v. Small Claims Court , 35 Cal. 2d 109, 113-114 (Cal. 1950).

An assignment will generally be permitted under the law unless there is an express prohibition against assignment in the underlying contract or lease. Where assignments are permitted, the assignor need not consult the other party to the contract but may merely assign the rights at that time. However, an assignment cannot have any adverse effect on the duties of the other party to the contract, nor can it diminish the chance of the other party receiving complete performance. The assignor normally remains liable unless there is an agreement to the contrary by the other party to the contract.

The effect of a valid assignment is to remove privity between the assignor and the obligor and create privity between the obligor and the assignee. Privity is usually defined as a direct and immediate contractual relationship. See Merchants case above.

Further, for the assignment to be effective in most jurisdictions, it must occur in the present. One does not normally assign a future right; the assignment vests immediate rights and obligations.

No specific language is required to create an assignment so long as the assignor makes clear his/her intent to assign identified contractual rights to the assignee. Since expensive litigation can erupt from ambiguous or vague language, obtaining the correct verbiage is vital. An agreement must manifest the intent to transfer rights and can either be oral or in writing and the rights assigned must be certain.

Note that an assignment of an interest is the transfer of some identifiable property, claim, or right from the assignor to the assignee. The assignment operates to transfer to the assignee all of the rights, title, or interest of the assignor in the thing assigned. A transfer of all rights, title, and interests conveys everything that the assignor owned in the thing assigned and the assignee stands in the shoes of the assignor. Knott v. McDonald’s Corp ., 985 F. Supp. 1222 (N.D. Cal. 1997)

The parties must intend to effectuate an assignment at the time of the transfer, although no particular language or procedure is necessary. As long ago as the case of National Reserve Co. v. Metropolitan Trust Co ., 17 Cal. 2d 827 (Cal. 1941), the court held that in determining what rights or interests pass under an assignment, the intention of the parties as manifested in the instrument is controlling.

The intent of the parties to an assignment is a question of fact to be derived not only from the instrument executed by the parties but also from the surrounding circumstances. When there is no writing to evidence the intention to transfer some identifiable property, claim, or right, it is necessary to scrutinize the surrounding circumstances and parties’ acts to ascertain their intentions. Strosberg v. Brauvin Realty Servs., 295 Ill. App. 3d 17 (Ill. App. Ct. 1st Dist. 1998)

The general rule applicable to assignments of choses in action is that an assignment, unless there is a contract to the contrary, carries with it all securities held by the assignor as collateral to the claim and all rights incidental thereto and vests in the assignee the equitable title to such collateral securities and incidental rights. An unqualified assignment of a contract or chose in action, however, with no indication of the intent of the parties, vests in the assignee the assigned contract or chose and all rights and remedies incidental thereto.

More examples: In Strosberg v. Brauvin Realty Servs ., 295 Ill. App. 3d 17 (Ill. App. Ct. 1st Dist. 1998), the court held that the assignee of a party to a subordination agreement is entitled to the benefits and is subject to the burdens of the agreement. In Florida E. C. R. Co. v. Eno , 99 Fla. 887 (Fla. 1930), the court held that the mere assignment of all sums due in and of itself creates no different or other liability of the owner to the assignee than that which existed from the owner to the assignor.

And note that even though an assignment vests in the assignee all rights, remedies, and contingent benefits which are incidental to the thing assigned, those which are personal to the assignor and for his sole benefit are not assigned. Rasp v. Hidden Valley Lake, Inc ., 519 N.E.2d 153, 158 (Ind. Ct. App. 1988). Thus, if the underlying agreement provides that a service can only be provided to X, X cannot assign that right to Y.

Novation Compared to Assignment:

Although the difference between a novation and an assignment may appear narrow, it is an essential one. “Novation is a act whereby one party transfers all its obligations and benefits under a contract to a third party.” In a novation, a third party successfully substitutes the original party as a party to the contract. “When a contract is novated, the other contracting party must be left in the same position he was in prior to the novation being made.”

A sublease is the transfer when a tenant retains some right of reentry onto the leased premises. However, if the tenant transfers the entire leasehold estate, retaining no right of reentry or other reversionary interest, then the transfer is an assignment. The assignor is normally also removed from liability to the landlord only if the landlord consents or allowed that right in the lease. In a sublease, the original tenant is not released from the obligations of the original lease.

Equitable Assignments:

An equitable assignment is one in which one has a future interest and is not valid at law but valid in a court of equity. In National Bank of Republic v. United Sec. Life Ins. & Trust Co. , 17 App. D.C. 112 (D.C. Cir. 1900), the court held that to constitute an equitable assignment of a chose in action, the following has to occur generally: anything said written or done, in pursuance of an agreement and for valuable consideration, or in consideration of an antecedent debt, to place a chose in action or fund out of the control of the owner, and appropriate it to or in favor of another person, amounts to an equitable assignment. Thus, an agreement, between a debtor and a creditor, that the debt shall be paid out of a specific fund going to the debtor may operate as an equitable assignment.

In Egyptian Navigation Co. v. Baker Invs. Corp. , 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 30804 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 14, 2008), the court stated that an equitable assignment occurs under English law when an assignor, with an intent to transfer his/her right to a chose in action, informs the assignee about the right so transferred.

An executory agreement or a declaration of trust are also equitable assignments if unenforceable as assignments by a court of law but enforceable by a court of equity exercising sound discretion according to the circumstances of the case. Since California combines courts of equity and courts of law, the same court would hear arguments as to whether an equitable assignment had occurred. Quite often, such relief is granted to avoid fraud or unjust enrichment.

Note that obtaining an assignment through fraudulent means invalidates the assignment. Fraud destroys the validity of everything into which it enters. It vitiates the most solemn contracts, documents, and even judgments. Walker v. Rich , 79 Cal. App. 139 (Cal. App. 1926). If an assignment is made with the fraudulent intent to delay, hinder, and defraud creditors, then it is void as fraudulent in fact. See our article on Transfers to Defraud Creditors .

But note that the motives that prompted an assignor to make the transfer will be considered as immaterial and will constitute no defense to an action by the assignee, if an assignment is considered as valid in all other respects.

Enforceability of Assignments:

Whether a right under a contract is capable of being transferred is determined by the law of the place where the contract was entered into. The validity and effect of an assignment is determined by the law of the place of assignment. The validity of an assignment of a contractual right is governed by the law of the state with the most significant relationship to the assignment and the parties.

In some jurisdictions, the traditional conflict of laws rules governing assignments has been rejected and the law of the place having the most significant contacts with the assignment applies. In Downs v. American Mut. Liability Ins. Co ., 14 N.Y.2d 266 (N.Y. 1964), a wife and her husband separated and the wife obtained a judgment of separation from the husband in New York. The judgment required the husband to pay a certain yearly sum to the wife. The husband assigned 50 percent of his future salary, wages, and earnings to the wife. The agreement authorized the employer to make such payments to the wife.

After the husband moved from New York, the wife learned that he was employed by an employer in Massachusetts. She sent the proper notice and demanded payment under the agreement. The employer refused and the wife brought an action for enforcement. The court observed that Massachusetts did not prohibit assignment of the husband’s wages. Moreover, Massachusetts law was not controlling because New York had the most significant relationship with the assignment. Therefore, the court ruled in favor of the wife.

Therefore, the validity of an assignment is determined by looking to the law of the forum with the most significant relationship to the assignment itself. To determine the applicable law of assignments, the court must look to the law of the state which is most significantly related to the principal issue before it.

Assignment of Contractual Rights:

Generally, the law allows the assignment of a contractual right unless the substitution of rights would materially change the duty of the obligor, materially increase the burden or risk imposed on the obligor by the contract, materially impair the chance of obtaining return performance, or materially reduce the value of the performance to the obligor. Restat 2d of Contracts, § 317(2)(a). This presumes that the underlying agreement is silent on the right to assign.

If the contract specifically precludes assignment, the contractual right is not assignable. Whether a contract is assignable is a matter of contractual intent and one must look to the language used by the parties to discern that intent.

In the absence of an express provision to the contrary, the rights and duties under a bilateral executory contract that does not involve personal skill, trust, or confidence may be assigned without the consent of the other party. But note that an assignment is invalid if it would materially alter the other party’s duties and responsibilities. Once an assignment is effective, the assignee stands in the shoes of the assignor and assumes all of assignor’s rights. Hence, after a valid assignment, the assignor’s right to performance is extinguished, transferred to assignee, and the assignee possesses the same rights, benefits, and remedies assignor once possessed. Robert Lamb Hart Planners & Architects v. Evergreen, Ltd. , 787 F. Supp. 753 (S.D. Ohio 1992).

On the other hand, an assignee’s right against the obligor is subject to “all of the limitations of the assignor’s right, all defenses thereto, and all set-offs and counterclaims which would have been available against the assignor had there been no assignment, provided that these defenses and set-offs are based on facts existing at the time of the assignment.” See Robert Lamb , case, above.

The power of the contract to restrict assignment is broad. Usually, contractual provisions that restrict assignment of the contract without the consent of the obligor are valid and enforceable, even when there is statutory authorization for the assignment. The restriction of the power to assign is often ineffective unless the restriction is expressly and precisely stated. Anti-assignment clauses are effective only if they contain clear, unambiguous language of prohibition. Anti-assignment clauses protect only the obligor and do not affect the transaction between the assignee and assignor.

Usually, a prohibition against the assignment of a contract does not prevent an assignment of the right to receive payments due, unless circumstances indicate the contrary. Moreover, the contracting parties cannot, by a mere non-assignment provision, prevent the effectual alienation of the right to money which becomes due under the contract.

A contract provision prohibiting or restricting an assignment may be waived, or a party may so act as to be estopped from objecting to the assignment, such as by effectively ratifying the assignment. The power to void an assignment made in violation of an anti-assignment clause may be waived either before or after the assignment. See our article on Contracts.

Noncompete Clauses and Assignments:

Of critical import to most buyers of businesses is the ability to ensure that key employees of the business being purchased cannot start a competing company. Some states strictly limit such clauses, some do allow them. California does restrict noncompete clauses, only allowing them under certain circumstances. A common question in those states that do allow them is whether such rights can be assigned to a new party, such as the buyer of the buyer.

A covenant not to compete, also called a non-competitive clause, is a formal agreement prohibiting one party from performing similar work or business within a designated area for a specified amount of time. This type of clause is generally included in contracts between employer and employee and contracts between buyer and seller of a business.

Many workers sign a covenant not to compete as part of the paperwork required for employment. It may be a separate document similar to a non-disclosure agreement, or buried within a number of other clauses in a contract. A covenant not to compete is generally legal and enforceable, although there are some exceptions and restrictions.

Whenever a company recruits skilled employees, it invests a significant amount of time and training. For example, it often takes years before a research chemist or a design engineer develops a workable knowledge of a company’s product line, including trade secrets and highly sensitive information. Once an employee gains this knowledge and experience, however, all sorts of things can happen. The employee could work for the company until retirement, accept a better offer from a competing company or start up his or her own business.

A covenant not to compete may cover a number of potential issues between employers and former employees. Many companies spend years developing a local base of customers or clients. It is important that this customer base not fall into the hands of local competitors. When an employee signs a covenant not to compete, he or she usually agrees not to use insider knowledge of the company’s customer base to disadvantage the company. The covenant not to compete often defines a broad geographical area considered off-limits to former employees, possibly tens or hundreds of miles.

Another area of concern covered by a covenant not to compete is a potential ‘brain drain’. Some high-level former employees may seek to recruit others from the same company to create new competition. Retention of employees, especially those with unique skills or proprietary knowledge, is vital for most companies, so a covenant not to compete may spell out definite restrictions on the hiring or recruiting of employees.

A covenant not to compete may also define a specific amount of time before a former employee can seek employment in a similar field. Many companies offer a substantial severance package to make sure former employees are financially solvent until the terms of the covenant not to compete have been met.

Because the use of a covenant not to compete can be controversial, a handful of states, including California, have largely banned this type of contractual language. The legal enforcement of these agreements falls on individual states, and many have sided with the employee during arbitration or litigation. A covenant not to compete must be reasonable and specific, with defined time periods and coverage areas. If the agreement gives the company too much power over former employees or is ambiguous, state courts may declare it to be overbroad and therefore unenforceable. In such case, the employee would be free to pursue any employment opportunity, including working for a direct competitor or starting up a new company of his or her own.

It has been held that an employee’s covenant not to compete is assignable where one business is transferred to another, that a merger does not constitute an assignment of a covenant not to compete, and that a covenant not to compete is enforceable by a successor to the employer where the assignment does not create an added burden of employment or other disadvantage to the employee. However, in some states such as Hawaii, it has also been held that a covenant not to compete is not assignable and under various statutes for various reasons that such covenants are not enforceable against an employee by a successor to the employer. Hawaii v. Gannett Pac. Corp. , 99 F. Supp. 2d 1241 (D. Haw. 1999)

It is vital to obtain the relevant law of the applicable state before drafting or attempting to enforce assignment rights in this particular area.

Conclusion:

In the current business world of fast changing structures, agreements, employees and projects, the ability to assign rights and obligations is essential to allow flexibility and adjustment to new situations. Conversely, the ability to hold a contracting party into the deal may be essential for the future of a party. Thus, the law of assignments and the restriction on same is a critical aspect of every agreement and every structure. This basic provision is often glanced at by the contracting parties, or scribbled into the deal at the last minute but can easily become the most vital part of the transaction.

As an example, one client of ours came into the office outraged that his co venturer on a sizable exporting agreement, who had excellent connections in Brazil, had elected to pursue another venture instead and assigned the agreement to a party unknown to our client and without the business contacts our client considered vital. When we examined the handwritten agreement our client had drafted in a restaurant in Sao Paolo, we discovered there was no restriction on assignment whatsoever…our client had not even considered that right when drafting the agreement after a full day of work.

One choses who one does business with carefully…to ensure that one’s choice remains the party on the other side of the contract, one must master the ability to negotiate proper assignment provisions.

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Contract Assignment Agreement

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  What Is a Contract Assignment?

In a contract assignment, one of the two parties may transfer their right to the other’s performance to a third party. This is known as “contract assignment.” Typically, all rights under a contract may be assigned. A provision in the agreement that states the contract may not be assigned usually refers to the delegation of the assignor’s (individual who assigns) obligations under that agreement, not their rights.

In modern law, the term “assignment of contract” usually means assigning both rights and duties under a contract.

What Is a Contract Assignment Agreement?

Who are the various parties involved in a contract assignment, how is a contract assignment created, when is a contract assignment prohibited, what should a contract assignment agreement contain, what are some common disputes related to assignment agreements, what is a breach of contract, what are the ways you can breach a contract, do i need a lawyer for help with a contract assignment agreement.

A contract assignment agreement may be created in cases involving a contract assignment. An assignment is where the recipient of products, services, or other rights transfers (assigns) their rights to another party. The party transferring their rights is the assignor, while the party performing the services is dubbed the obligor. The party obtaining the transferred rights is called the assignee.

Contract assignments are often utilized in cases similar to beneficiary and gift-giving situations. Yet, there is frequently a substantial business or commercial component to contract assignments (such as those projects involving commercial building and contracting).

There are two parties to the agreement in a contract, X and Y. The parties may agree to let X assign X’s rights to a third party . Once the third party enters the picture, each party has a particular name. For example, suppose X, a seller of bookmarks, contracts with Y, a purchaser of bookmarks. Y wants to have Y’s right to X’s performance (selling bookmarks every month) to another individual.

This third individual, Z, is dubbed the assignee. X is named the obligor , and Y is named the assignor since Y has assigned its right to X’s performance . X, the obligor, is bound to continue to perform its duties under the contract.

There are no “magical words” required to make an assignment. The law demands that the would-be assignor intend to wholly and immediately transfer their rights in the agreement. In addition, writing is generally not needed to make an assignment. As long as X and Y adequately comprehend what right is being assigned, an assignment is formed.

Comments that demonstrate a transfer is to take place suffice, such as “I plan to transfer my rights under this agreement,” “I plan to give my rights to Z,” or “I plan to confer an assignment on Z.” In addition, consideration, which is a bargained-for exchange needed for a contract to be proper, is not needed for the assignment.

In specific examples, an assignment of contract rights can be restricted. If the agreement includes a clause forbidding assignment of “the contract” without establishing more, the law construes this language as banning only delegation of the assignor’s duties, not their rights.

If the assignment language states “assignment of contractual rights is forbidden,” the obligor may sue for damages if the assignor tries to assign the agreement. If the contract language says that attempts to assign “will be null,” the parties can ban the assignment of rights.

Under current contract law, the expression “I assign the contract” is usually interpreted to mean that one is assigning rights and duties. What is an assignment of duties? An assignment of duties emerges where Y, dubbed the obligor or delegator, promises to perform for X, the obligee. Y then entrusts their duty to perform to Z, the delegate. Under the law, most duties can be delegated.

A contract assignment should include:

• Names of the parties involved
• Depictions of the rights or contract benefits being assigned
• When the assignment takes effect, and whether or not it lapses
• Conditions regarding legal action if a breach or violation of contract should ensue

Most jurisdictions don’t demand a contract assignment to be in writing. Of course, it’s always best to put the agreement in writing to create a record of the transaction if there are any future problems.

Some typical legal problems involving contract assignments include:

• Failure to transfer the rights to the assignee
• Refusal to cooperate with the contract assignment terms
• Use of deception, misrepresentation, or force when dealing with assignment agreement documents
• Blunders or mistakes concerning definitions of the assignment subject

Conflicts oftentimes require legal action in a court of law to settle the legal problems. This can result in a monetary damages award to cover losses caused by a breach of contract. Alternatively, some courts may enforce other remedies such as cancellation or rewriting of the agreement.

A breach of contract may arise when a party to a good agreement has failed to fulfill their side of the deal.

For example, the terms of a contract guide the parties in what they must do and how they should do it to maintain their promise. If a party does not do what the agreement instructs them to do, then the non-breaching party will be entitled to take legal action and file a lawsuit against them in court.

A breach of contract can arise as either a partial or a complete breach. A court will also consider whether the breach was substantial or only a minor one. This will allow the court to decide what type of damages the breaching party should have to expend.

There are three major ways for which a party can be held liable for breach of contract. This includes when:

• There is an anticipatory breach: Often referred to as anticipatory repudiation, this kind of breach happens when the breaching party tells the non-breaching party that they will not be fulfilling the terms of their contract. Once the other party is informed, they can sue for breach of contract.
• A party has committed a minor breach: A minor breach of contract happens when a party fails to perform a small contract detail. The total contract has not been violated and can still be substantially performed in this circumstance. This also comes up when there is a technical mistake with the agreement (e.g., a false date, price, or typo within the terms of the agreement).
• If there is a material or fundamental breach: These are the most standard sorts of breaches cited as the basis of a breach of contract action. When the breach is so substantial, it essentially cancels the contract because it renders performance by either party impossible.

Some other ways that a contract can be breached include when the contract is dishonest, if the contract was formed illegally or is unconscionable, and when there is a mistake of fact present in the agreement terms. The parties may also include conditions unique to their respective agreement, which specify when a party’s actions can be deemed a breach.

Further, state regulations and the type of contract (e.g., lease agreement, sales contract, government contract, etc.) may indicate other ways a contract can be breached.

Contract agreements often require much attention to detail and foresight for anticipating future events. It’s in your best interests to hire a contract lawyer if you need help with any contract matters. Your lawyer can help you with your records and represent you if you ever need to file a claim in court for damages.

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14.1 Assignment of Contract Rights

Learning objectives.

• Understand what an assignment is and how it is made.
• Recognize the effect of the assignment.
• Know when assignments are not allowed.
• Understand the concept of assignor’s warranties.

The Concept of a Contract Assignment

Contracts create rights and duties. By an assignment The passing or delivering by one person to another of the right to a contract benefit. , an obligee One to whom an obligation is owed. (one who has the right to receive a contract benefit) transfers a right to receive a contract benefit owed by the obligor One who owes an obligation. (the one who has a duty to perform) to a third person ( assignee One to whom the right to receive benefit of a contract is passed or delivered. ); the obligee then becomes an assignor One who agrees to allow another to receive the benefit of a contract. (one who makes an assignment).

The Restatement (Second) of Contracts defines an assignment of a right as “a manifestation of the assignor’s intention to transfer it by virtue of which the assignor’s right to performance by the obligor is extinguished in whole or in part and the assignee acquires the right to such performance.” Restatement (Second) of Contracts, Section 317(1). The one who makes the assignment is both an obligee and a transferor. The assignee acquires the right to receive the contractual obligations of the promisor, who is referred to as the obligor (see Figure 14.1 "Assignment of Rights" ). The assignor may assign any right unless (1) doing so would materially change the obligation of the obligor, materially burden him, increase his risk, or otherwise diminish the value to him of the original contract; (2) statute or public policy forbids the assignment; or (3) the contract itself precludes assignment. The common law of contracts and Articles 2 and 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) govern assignments. Assignments are an important part of business financing, such as factoring. A factor A person who pays money to receive another’s executory contractual benefits. is one who purchases the right to receive income from another.

Figure 14.1 Assignment of Rights

Method of Assignment

Manifesting assent.

To effect an assignment, the assignor must make known his intention to transfer the rights to the third person. The assignor’s intention must be that the assignment is effective without need of any further action or any further manifestation of intention to make the assignment. In other words, the assignor must intend and understand himself to be making the assignment then and there; he is not promising to make the assignment sometime in the future.

Under the UCC, any assignments of rights in excess of $5,000 must be in writing, but otherwise, assignments can be oral and consideration is not required: the assignor could assign the right to the assignee for nothing (not likely in commercial transactions, of course). Mrs. Franklin has the right to receive $750 a month from the sale of a house she formerly owned; she assigns the right to receive the money to her son Jason, as a gift. The assignment is good, though such a gratuitous assignment is usually revocable, which is not the case where consideration has been paid for an assignment.

Acceptance and Revocation

For the assignment to become effective, the assignee must manifest his acceptance under most circumstances. This is done automatically when, as is usually the case, the assignee has given consideration for the assignment (i.e., there is a contract between the assignor and the assignee in which the assignment is the assignor’s consideration), and then the assignment is not revocable without the assignee’s consent. Problems of acceptance normally arise only when the assignor intends the assignment as a gift. Then, for the assignment to be irrevocable, either the assignee must manifest his acceptance or the assignor must notify the assignee in writing of the assignment.

Notice to the obligor is not required, but an obligor who renders performance to the assignor without notice of the assignment (that performance of the contract is to be rendered now to the assignee) is discharged. Obviously, the assignor cannot then keep the consideration he has received; he owes it to the assignee. But if notice is given to the obligor and she performs to the assignor anyway, the assignee can recover from either the obligor or the assignee, so the obligor could have to perform twice, as in Exercise 2 at the chapter’s end, Aldana v. Colonial Palms Plaza . Of course, an obligor who receives notice of the assignment from the assignee will want to be sure the assignment has really occurred. After all, anybody could waltz up to the obligor and say, “I’m the assignee of your contract with the bank. From now on, pay me the $500 a month, not the bank.” The obligor is entitled to verification of the assignment.

Effect of Assignment

General rule.

An assignment of rights effectively makes the assignee stand in the shoes of An assignee takes no greater rights than his assignor had. the assignor. He gains all the rights against the obligor that the assignor had, but no more. An obligor who could avoid the assignor’s attempt to enforce the rights could avoid a similar attempt by the assignee. Likewise, under UCC Section 9-318(1), the assignee of an account is subject to all terms of the contract between the debtor and the creditor-assignor. Suppose Dealer sells a car to Buyer on a contract where Buyer is to pay $300 per month and the car is warranted for 50,000 miles. If the car goes on the fritz before then and Dealer won’t fix it, Buyer could fix it for, say, $250 and deduct that $250 from the amount owed Dealer on the next installment (called a setoff). Now, if Dealer assigns the contract to Assignee, Assignee stands in Dealer’s shoes, and Buyer could likewise deduct the $250 from payment to Assignee.

The “shoe rule” does not apply to two types of assignments. First, it is inapplicable to the sale of a negotiable instrument to a holder in due course. Second, the rule may be waived: under the UCC and at common law, the obligor may agree in the original contract not to raise defenses against the assignee that could have been raised against the assignor. Uniform Commercial Code, Section 9-206. While a waiver of defenses Surrender by a party of legal rights otherwise available to him or her. makes the assignment more marketable from the assignee’s point of view, it is a situation fraught with peril to an obligor, who may sign a contract without understanding the full import of the waiver. Under the waiver rule, for example, a farmer who buys a tractor on credit and discovers later that it does not work would still be required to pay a credit company that purchased the contract; his defense that the merchandise was shoddy would be unavailing (he would, as used to be said, be “having to pay on a dead horse”).

For that reason, there are various rules that limit both the holder in due course and the waiver rule. Certain defenses, the so-called real defenses (infancy, duress, and fraud in the execution, among others), may always be asserted. Also, the waiver clause in the contract must have been presented in good faith, and if the assignee has actual notice of a defense that the buyer or lessee could raise, then the waiver is ineffective. Moreover, in consumer transactions, the UCC’s rule is subject to state laws that protect consumers (people buying things used primarily for personal, family, or household purposes), and many states, by statute or court decision, have made waivers of defenses ineffective in such consumer transactions A contract for household or domestic purposes, not commercial purposes. . Federal Trade Commission regulations also affect the ability of many sellers to pass on rights to assignees free of defenses that buyers could raise against them. Because of these various limitations on the holder in due course and on waivers, the “shoe rule” will not govern in consumer transactions and, if there are real defenses or the assignee does not act in good faith, in business transactions as well.

When Assignments Are Not Allowed

The general rule—as previously noted—is that most contract rights are assignable. But there are exceptions. Five of them are noted here.

Material Change in Duties of the Obligor

When an assignment has the effect of materially changing the duties that the obligor must perform, it is ineffective. Changing the party to whom the obligor must make a payment is not a material change of duty that will defeat an assignment, since that, of course, is the purpose behind most assignments. Nor will a minor change in the duties the obligor must perform defeat the assignment.

Several residents in the town of Centerville sign up on an annual basis with the Centerville Times to receive their morning paper. A customer who is moving out of town may assign his right to receive the paper to someone else within the delivery route. As long as the assignee pays for the paper, the assignment is effective; the only relationship the obligor has to the assignee is a routine delivery in exchange for payment. Obligors can consent in the original contract, however, to a subsequent assignment of duties. Here is a clause from the World Team Tennis League contract: “It is mutually agreed that the Club shall have the right to sell, assign, trade and transfer this contract to another Club in the League, and the Player agrees to accept and be bound by such sale, exchange, assignment or transfer and to faithfully perform and carry out his or her obligations under this contract as if it had been entered into by the Player and such other Club.” Consent is not necessary when the contract does not involve a personal relationship.

Assignment of Personal Rights

When it matters to the obligor who receives the benefit of his duty to perform under the contract, then the receipt of the benefit is a personal right The right or duty of a particular person to perform or receive contract duties or benefits; cannot be assigned. that cannot be assigned. For example, a student seeking to earn pocket money during the school year signs up to do research work for a professor she admires and with whom she is friendly. The professor assigns the contract to one of his colleagues with whom the student does not get along. The assignment is ineffective because it matters to the student (the obligor) who the person of the assignee is. An insurance company provides auto insurance covering Mohammed Kareem, a sixty-five-year-old man who drives very carefully. Kareem cannot assign the contract to his seventeen-year-old grandson because it matters to the insurance company who the person of its insured is. Tenants usually cannot assign (sublet) their tenancies without the landlord’s permission because it matters to the landlord who the person of their tenant is. Section 14.4.1 "Nonassignable Rights" , Nassau Hotel Co. v. Barnett & Barse Corp. , is an example of the nonassignability of a personal right.

Assignment Forbidden by Statute or Public Policy

Various federal and state laws prohibit or regulate some contract assignment. The assignment of future wages is regulated by state and federal law to protect people from improvidently denying themselves future income because of immediate present financial difficulties. And even in the absence of statute, public policy might prohibit some assignments.

Contracts That Prohibit Assignment

Assignability of contract rights is useful, and prohibitions against it are not generally favored. Many contracts contain general language that prohibits assignment of rights or of “the contract.” Both the Restatement and UCC Section 2-210(3) declare that in the absence of any contrary circumstances, a provision in the agreement that prohibits assigning “the contract” bars “only the delegation to the assignee of the assignor’s performance.” Restatement (Second) of Contracts, Section 322. In other words, unless the contract specifically prohibits assignment of any of its terms, a party is free to assign anything except his or her own duties.

Even if a contractual provision explicitly prohibits it, a right to damages for breach of the whole contract is assignable under UCC Section 2-210(2) in contracts for goods. Likewise, UCC Section 9-318(4) invalidates any contract provision that prohibits assigning sums already due or to become due. Indeed, in some states, at common law, a clause specifically prohibiting assignment will fail. For example, the buyer and the seller agree to the sale of land and to a provision barring assignment of the rights under the contract. The buyer pays the full price, but the seller refuses to convey. The buyer then assigns to her friend the right to obtain title to the land from the seller. The latter’s objection that the contract precludes such an assignment will fall on deaf ears in some states; the assignment is effective, and the friend may sue for the title.

Future Contracts

The law distinguishes between assigning future rights under an existing contract and assigning rights that will arise from a future contract. Rights contingent on a future event can be assigned in exactly the same manner as existing rights, as long as the contingent rights are already incorporated in a contract. Ben has a long-standing deal with his neighbor, Mrs. Robinson, to keep the latter’s walk clear of snow at twenty dollars a snowfall. Ben is saving his money for a new printer, but when he is eighty dollars shy of the purchase price, he becomes impatient and cajoles a friend into loaning him the balance. In return, Ben assigns his friend the earnings from the next four snowfalls. The assignment is effective. However, a right that will arise from a future contract cannot be the subject of a present assignment.

Partial Assignments

An assignor may assign part of a contractual right, but only if the obligor can perform that part of his contractual obligation separately from the remainder of his obligation. Assignment of part of a payment due is always enforceable. However, if the obligor objects, neither the assignor nor the assignee may sue him unless both are party to the suit. Mrs. Robinson owes Ben one hundred dollars. Ben assigns fifty dollars of that sum to his friend. Mrs. Robinson is perplexed by this assignment and refuses to pay until the situation is explained to her satisfaction. The friend brings suit against Mrs. Robinson. The court cannot hear the case unless Ben is also a party to the suit. This ensures all parties to the dispute are present at once and avoids multiple lawsuits.

Successive Assignments

It may happen that an assignor assigns the same interest twice (see Figure 14.2 "Successive Assignments" ). With certain exceptions, the first assignee takes precedence over any subsequent assignee. One obvious exception is when the first assignment is ineffective or revocable. A subsequent assignment has the effect of revoking a prior assignment that is ineffective or revocable. Another exception: if in good faith the subsequent assignee gives consideration for the assignment and has no knowledge of the prior assignment, he takes precedence whenever he obtains payment from, performance from, or a judgment against the obligor, or whenever he receives some tangible evidence from the assignor that the right has been assigned (e.g., a bank deposit book or an insurance policy).

Some states follow the different English rule: the first assignee to give notice to the obligor has priority, regardless of the order in which the assignments were made. Furthermore, if the assignment falls within the filing requirements of UCC Article 9 (see Chapter 33 "Secured Transactions and Suretyship" ), the first assignee to file will prevail.

Figure 14.2 Successive Assignments

Assignor’s Warranties

An assignor has legal responsibilities in making assignments. He cannot blithely assign the same interests pell-mell and escape liability. Unless the contract explicitly states to the contrary, a person who assigns a right for value makes certain assignor’s warranties Promises, express or implied, made by an assignor to the assignee about the merits of the assignment. to the assignee: that he will not upset the assignment, that he has the right to make it, and that there are no defenses that will defeat it. However, the assignor does not guarantee payment; assignment does not by itself amount to a warranty that the obligor is solvent or will perform as agreed in the original contract. Mrs. Robinson owes Ben fifty dollars. Ben assigns this sum to his friend. Before the friend collects, Ben releases Mrs. Robinson from her obligation. The friend may sue Ben for the fifty dollars. Or again, if Ben represents to his friend that Mrs. Robinson owes him (Ben) fifty dollars and assigns his friend that amount, but in fact Mrs. Robinson does not owe Ben that much, then Ben has breached his assignor’s warranty. The assignor’s warranties may be express or implied.

Key Takeaway

Generally, it is OK for an obligee to assign the right to receive contractual performance from the obligor to a third party. The effect of the assignment is to make the assignee stand in the shoes of the assignor, taking all the latter’s rights and all the defenses against nonperformance that the obligor might raise against the assignor. But the obligor may agree in advance to waive defenses against the assignee, unless such waiver is prohibited by law.

There are some exceptions to the rule that contract rights are assignable. Some, such as personal rights, are not circumstances where the obligor’s duties would materially change, cases where assignability is forbidden by statute or public policy, or, with some limits, cases where the contract itself prohibits assignment. Partial assignments and successive assignments can happen, and rules govern the resolution of problems arising from them.

When the assignor makes the assignment, that person makes certain warranties, express or implied, to the assignee, basically to the effect that the assignment is good and the assignor knows of no reason why the assignee will not get performance from the obligor.

• If Able makes a valid assignment to Baker of his contract to receive monthly rental payments from Tenant, how is Baker’s right different from what Able’s was?
• Able made a valid assignment to Baker of his contract to receive monthly purchase payments from Carr, who bought an automobile from Able. The car had a 180-day warranty, but the car malfunctioned within that time. Able had quit the auto business entirely. May Carr withhold payments from Baker to offset the cost of needed repairs?
• Assume in the case in Exercise 2 that Baker knew Able was selling defective cars just before his (Able’s) withdrawal from the auto business. How, if at all, does that change Baker’s rights?
• Why are leases generally not assignable? Why are insurance contracts not assignable?

Contract Assignment Agreement

Used 5,046 times

Download the Contract Assignment Agreement to transfer your duties, obligations, and rights. An agreement between two parties outlines the conditions of a contract assignment.

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Prepared by:

​ [Assignor.FirstName] [Assignor.LastName] ​

​ [Assignor.Phone] [Assignor.Email] ​

​ [Assignor.StreetAddress] [Assignor.City] ​ [Assignor.State] [Assignor.PostalCode] ​

Contract Assignment Agreement Template

Prepared for:

​ [Assignee.FirstName] [Assignee.LastName] ​

​ [Assignee.Company] ​

​ [Assignee.Phone] ​

​ [Assignee.Email] ​

​ [Assignee.StreetAddress] [Assignee.City] [Assignee.State] [Assignee.PostalCode] ​

This Contract Assignment Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the "Agreement") made and entered on [Document.CreatedDate] , by and between:

Name: [Assignor.FirstName] [Assignor.LastName] [Assignor.Company] (hereinafter referred to as "Assignor"), and

Name: [Assignee.FirstName] [Assignee.LastName] [Assignee.Company] (hereinafter referred to as "Assignee"), and

Assignor and Assignee are hereinafter referred to as “Parties” collectively in this Agreement.

A. Assignor assigns and transfers the Assignee all of its rights, title, and interest in and to the contract, named (insert name of the original contract) (hereinafter referred to as the "Contract"), dated (insert date of the original contract), and expires on (insert the date when the original contract expires).

In consideration for the assignment, the Assignee will pay the Assignor the sum of (insert amount).

B. Assignor desires to assign the Contract to Assignee and Assignee desires to accept the assignment of the Contract.

C. The terms of this Assignment Agreement shall supersede the terms of the original Contract to the extent that there is any conflict between the terms of the original Contract and the terms of this Assignment Agreement.

This Agreement is subject to the following conditions:

Both Parties have all necessary rights and authority to enter into this Agreement and to assign the Contract to Assignee;

This Agreement does not and will not be construed to violate any agreement to which either the Assignor or the Assignee is a party or by which they are bound; and

Parties have had the opportunity to seek independent legal counsel prior to signing this Agreement and have either done so or have voluntarily waived their right to do so.

Indemnification

The Assignee agrees to indemnify and hold the Assignor harmless from and against any and all costs, losses, damages, claims, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees and costs) arising out of or in connection with any claims or suits based on allegations that arise.

Counterparts

This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different Parties hereto on different counterparts), each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute the same instrument.

Non-Transferability

Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, the rights and obligations of the Parties under this Agreement are not assignable or transferable, neither whole nor in part.

Termination

Subsequently, this Agreement may not be terminated except by mutual agreement of the Assignor and the Assignee. In the event of termination, any sums paid by Assignee to Assignor under this Agreement shall be reimbursed to Assignee within (insert number of days) of the termination of this Agreement.

Confidentiality

Assignee shall maintain all information regarding the Contract in the strictest confidence and shall not reveal such information to any person or entity without the express written consent of Assignor.

Governing Laws

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed under the laws of the State of [Assignor.State] ​.

Agreed and Accepted

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this Agreement as of the date written below.

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When the assignor collects any money and holds it as a trustee of the assignee, a partial assignment exists between the parties to the assignment.[i]  Under the common law, an entire claim or debt arising out of a single transaction cannot be split by an assignment.  Moreover, it cannot be the subject of several suits without the consent of the debtor or the equitable joinder of all the parties holding  interest in the debt.  The debtor should not be subjected to multiple suits or claims not contemplated in the original assigned contract.[ii] The holder of an accrued cause of action may not assign the right to recover part of the damages while retaining the right to recover the balance of damages.[iii]  Notice of a partial assignment does not affect the original debtor’s right to defend against a partial assignee.[iv]

A partial assignment is effective as to the part assigned to the same extent and in the same manner as if the part was a separate right. An assignment can be enforced over the debtor’s objection only if all persons entitled to the promised performance are joined in the proceeding, unless joinder is not feasible and it is equitable to proceed without joinder given the obligor did not contract to perform the assigned part separately.

[i] Hubbard v. Bibb Brokerage Co. , 44 Ga. App. 1 (Ga. Ct. App. 1931)

[ii] Space Coast Credit Union v. Walt Disney World Co. , 483 So. 2d 35 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 5th Dist. 1986);

[iii] Korte Const. Co. v. Deaconess Manor Ass’n , 927 S.W.2d 395 (Mo. Ct. App. E.D. 1996),

[iv] First Nat’l Bank v. Gross Real Estate Co. , 162 Neb. 343 (Neb. 1956)

Inside Partial Assignments

• Obligor’s Waiver or Consent
• Suit by All Owners of Claim or Cause of Action; Equity Proceedings
• Partial Assignment of Wages
• Form and Requisites of Partial Assignments

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Assignment provisions in contracts

Author’s note, Nov. 22, 2014: For a much-improved update of this page, see the Common Draft general provisions article .

(For more real-world stories like the ones below, see my PDF e-book, Signing a Business Contract? A Quick Checklist for Greater Peace of Mind , a compendium of tips and true stories to help you steer clear of various possible minefields. Learn more …. )

Table of Contents

Legal background: Contracts generally are freely assignable

When a party to a contract “ assigns ” the contract to someone else, it means that party, known as the assignor , has transferred its rights under the contract to someone else, known as the assignee , and also has delegated its obligations to the assignee.

Under U.S. law, most contract rights are freely assignable , and most contract duties are freely delegable, absent some special character of the duty, unless the agreement says otherwise. In some situations, however, the parties will not want their opposite numbers to be able to assign the agreement freely; contracts often include language to this effect.

Intellectual-property licenses are an exception to the general rule of assignability. Under U.S. law, an IP licensee may not assign its license rights, nor delegate its license obligations, without the licensor’s consent, even when the license agreement is silent. See, for example, In re XMH Corp. , 647 F.3d 690 (7th Cir. 2011) (Posner, J; trademark licenses); Cincom Sys., Inc. v. Novelis Corp. , 581 F.3d 431 (6th Cir. 2009) (copyright licenses); Rhone-Poulenc Agro, S.A. v. DeKalb Genetics Corp. , 284 F.3d 1323 (Fed. Cir. 2002) (patent licenses). For additional information, see this article by John Paul, Brian Kacedon, and Douglas W. Meier of the Finnegan Henderson firm.

Assignment consent requirements

Model language

[Party name] may not assign this Agreement to any other person without the express prior written consent of the other party or its successor in interest, as applicable, except as expressly provided otherwise in this Agreement. A putative assignment made without such required consent will have no effect.

Optional: Nor may [Party name] assign any right or interest arising out of this Agreement, in whole or in part, without such consent.

Alternative: For the avoidance of doubt, consent is not required for an assignment (absolute, collateral, or other) or pledge of, nor for any grant of a security interest in, a right to payment under this Agreement.

Optional: An assignment of this Agreement by operation of law, as a result of a merger, consolidation, amalgamation, or other transaction or series of transactions, requires consent to the same extent as would an assignment to the same assignee outside of such a transaction or series of transactions.

• An assignment-consent requirement like this can give the non-assigning party a chokehold on a future merger or corporate reorganization by the assigning party — see the case illustrations below.

• A party being asked to agree to an assignment-consent requirement should consider trying to negotiate one of the carve-out provisions below, for example, when the assignment is connection with a sale of substantially all the assets of the assignor’s business {Link} .

Case illustrations

The dubai port deal (ny times story and story ).

In 2006, a Dubai company that operated several U.S. ports agreed to sell those operations. (The agreement came about because of publicity and political pressure about the alleged national-security implications of having Middle-Eastern companies in charge of U.S. port operations.)

A complication arose in the case of the Port of Newark: The Dubai company’s lease agreement gave the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey the right to consent to any assignment of the agreement — and that agency initially demanded $84 million for its consent.

After harsh criticism from political leaders, the Port Authority backed down a bit: it gave consent in return for “only” a $10 million consent fee, plus $40 million investment commitment by the buyer.

Cincom Sys., Inc. v. Novelis Corp., No. 07-4142 (6th Cir. Sept. 25, 2009) (affirming summary judgment)

A customer of a software vendor did an internal reorganization. As a result, the vendor’s software ended up being used by a sister company of the original customer. The vendor demanded that the sister company buy a new license. The sister company refused.

The vendor sued, successfully, for copyright infringement, and received the price of a new license, more than $450,000 as its damages. The case is discussed in more detail in this blog posting.

The vendor’s behavior strikes me as extremely shortsighted, for a couple of reasons: First, I wouldn’t bet much on the likelihood the customer would ever buy anything again from that vendor. Second, I would bet that the word got around about what the vendor did, and that this didn’t do the vendor’s reputation any good.

Meso Scale Diagnostics, LLC v. Roche Diagnostics GmbH, No. 5589-VCP (Del. Ch. Apr. 8, 2011) (denying motion to dismiss).

The Delaware Chancery Court refused to rule out the possibility that a reverse triangular merger could act as an assignment of a contract, which under the contract terms would have required consent. See also the discussion of this opinion by Katherine Jones of the Sheppard Mullin law firm.

Assignment with transfer of business assets

Consent is not required for an assignment of this Agreement in connection with a sale or other disposition of substantially all the assets of the assigning party’s business.

Optional: Alternatively, the sale or other disposition may be of substantially all the assets of the assigning party’s business to which this Agreement specifically relates.

Optional: The assignee must not be a competitor of the non-assigning party.

• A prospective assigning party might argue that it needed to keep control of its own strategic destiny, for example by preserving its freedom to sell off a product line or division (or even the whole company) in an asset sale.

• A non-assigning party might argue that it could not permit the assignment of the agreement to one of its competitors, and that the only way to ensure this was to retain a veto over any assignment.

• Another approach might be to give the non-assigning party, instead of a veto over asset-disposition assignments, the right to terminate the contract for convenience . (Of course, the implications of termination would have to be carefully thought through.)

Assignment to affiliate

[Either party] may assign this Agreement without consent to its affiliate.

Optional: The assigning party must unconditionally guarantee the assignee’s performance.

Optional: The affiliate must not be a competitor of the non-assigning party.

Optional: The affiliate must be a majority-ownership affiliate of the assigning party.

• A prospective assigning party might argue for the right to assign to an affiliate to preserve its freedom to move assets around within its “corporate family” without having to seek approval.

• The other party might reasonably object that there is no way to know in advance whether an affiliate-assignee would be in a position to fulfill the assigning party’s obligations under the contract, nor whether it would have reachable assets in case of a breach.

Editorial comment: Before approving a blanket affiliate-assignment authorization, a party should consider whether it knew enough about the other party’s existing- or future affiliates to be comfortable with where the agreement might end up.

Consent may not be unreasonably withheld or delayed

Consent to an assignment of this Agreement requiring it may not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.

Optional: For the avoidance of doubt, any damages suffered by a party seeking a required consent to assignment of this Agreement, resulting from an unreasonable withholding or delay of such consent, are to be treated as direct damages.

Optional: For the avoidance of doubt, any damages suffered by a party seeking a required consent to assignment of this Agreement, resulting from an unreasonable withholding or delay of such consent, are not subject to any exclusion of remedies or other limitation of liability in this Agreement.

• Even if this provision were absent, applicable law might impose a reasonableness requirement; see the discussion of the Shoney case in the commentary to the Consent at discretion provision.

• A reasonableness requirement might not be of much practical value, whether contractual or implied by law. Such a requirement could not guarantee that the non-assigning party would give its consent when the assigning party wants it. And by the time a court could resolve the matter, the assigning party’s deal could have been blown.

• Still, an unreasonable-withholding provision should make the non-assigning party think twice about dragging its feet too much, becuase of the prospect of being held liable for damages for a busted transaction. Cf. Pennzoil vs. Texaco and its $10.5 billion damage award for tortious interference with an M&A deal.

• Including an unreasonable-delay provision might conflict with the Materiality of assignment breach provision, for reasons discussed there in the summary of the Hess Energy case.

Consent at discretion

A party having the right to grant or withhold consent to an assignment of this Agreement may do so in its sole and unfettered discretion.

• If a party might want the absolute right to withhold consent to an assignment in its sole discretion, it would be a good idea to try to include that in the contract language. Otherwise, there’s a risk that court might impose a commercial-reasonableness test under applicable law (see the next bullet). On the other hand, asking for such language but not getting it could be fatal to the party’s case that it was implicitly entitled to withhold consent in its discretion.

• If a commercial- or residential lease agreement requires the landlord’s consent before the tentant can assign the lease, state law might impose a reasonableness requirement. I haven’t researched this, but ran across an unpublished California opinion and an old law review article, each collecting cases. See Nevada Atlantic Corp. v. Wrec Lido Venture, LLC, No. G039825 (Cal. App. Dec. 8, 2008) (unpublished; reversing judgment that sole-discretion withholding of consent was unreasonable); Paul J. Weddle, Pacific First Bank v. New Morgan Park Corporation: Reasonable Withholding of Consent to Commercial Lease Assignments , 31 Willamette L. Rev. 713 (1995) (first page available for free at HeinOnline ).

Shoney’s LLC v. MAC East, LLC, No. 1071465 (Ala. Jul. 31, 2009)

In 2009, the Alabama Supreme Court rejected a claim that Shoney’s restaurant chain breached a contract when it demanded a $70,000 to $90,000 payment as the price of its consent to a proposed sublease. The supreme court noted that the contract specifically gave Shoney’s the right, in its sole discretion , to consent to any proposed assignment or sublease.

Significantly, prior case law from Alabama was to the effect that a refusal to consent would indeed be judged by a commercial-reasonableness standard. But, the supreme court said, “[w]here the parties to a contract use language that is inconsistent with a commercial-reasonableness standard, the terms of such contract will not be altered by an implied covenant of good faith. Therefore, an unqualified express standard such as ‘sole discretion’ is also to be construed as written.” Shoney’s LLC v. MAC East, LLC , No. 1071465 (Ala. Jul. 31, 2009) (on certification by Eleventh Circuit), cited by MAC East, LLC v. Shoney’s [LLC] , No. 07-11534 (11th Cir. Aug. 11, 2009), reversing No. 2:05-cv-1038-MEF (WO) (M.D. Ala. Jan. 8, 2007) (granting partial summary judgment that Shoney’s had breached the contract).

Termination by non-assigning party

A non-assigning party may terminate this Agreement, in its business discretion , by giving notice to that effect no later than 60 days after receiving notice, from either the assigning party or the assignee, that an assignment of the Agreement has become effective.

Consider an agreement in which a vendor is to provide ongoing services to a customer. A powerful customer might demand the right to consent to the vendor’s assignment of the agreement, even in strategic transactions. The vendor, on the other hand, might refuse to give any customer that kind of control of its strategic options.

A workable compromise might be to allow the customer to terminate the agreement during a stated window of time after the assignment if it is not happy with the new vendor.

Assignment – other provisions

Optional: Delegation: For the avoidance of doubt, an assignment of this Agreement operates as a transfer of the assigning party’s rights and a delegation of its duties under this Agreement.

Optional: Promise to perform: For the avoidance of doubt, an assignee’s acceptance of an assignment of this Agreement constitutes the assignee’s promise to perform the assigning party’s duties under the Agreement. That promise is enforceable by either the assigning party or by the non-assigning party.

Optional: Written assumption by assignee: IF: The non-assigning party so requests of an assignee of this Agreement; THEN: The assignee will seasonably provide the non-assigning party with a written assumption of the assignor’s obligations, duly executed by or on behalf of the assignee; ELSE: The assignment will be of no effect.

Optional: No release: For the avoidance of doubt, an assignment of this Agreement does not release the assigning party from its responsibility for performance of its duties under the Agreement unless the non-assigning party so agrees in writing.

Optional: Confidentiality: A non-assigning party will preserve in confidence any non-public information about an actual- or proposed assignment of this Agreement that may be disclosed to that party by a party participating in, or seeking consent for, the assignment.

The Delegation provision might not be necessary in a contract for the sale of goods governed by the Uniform Commercial Code, because a similar provision is found in UCC 2-210

The Confidentiality provision would be useful if a party to the agreement anticipated that it might be engaging in any kind of merger or other strategic transaction.

Materiality of assignment breach

IF: A party breaches any requirement of this Agreement that the party obtain another party’s consent to assign this Agreement; THEN: Such breach is to be treated as a material breach of this Agreement.

A chief significance of this kind of provision is that failure to obtain consent to assignment, if it were a material breach, would give the non-assigning party the right to terminate the Agreement.

If an assignment-consent provision requires that consent not be unreasonably withheld , then failure to obtain consent to a reasonable assignment would not be a material breach, according to the court in Hess Energy Inc. v. Lightning Oil Co. , No. 01-1582 (4th Cir. Jan. 18, 2002) (reversing summary judgment). In that case, the agreement was a natural-gas supply contract. The customer was acquired by a larger company, after which the larger company took over some of the contract administration responsibilities such as payment of the vendor’s invoices. The vendor, seeking to sell its gas to someone else at a higher price, sent a notice of termination, on grounds that the customer had “assigned” the agreement to its new parent company, in violation of the contract’s assignment-consent provision. The appeals court held that, even if the customer had indeed assigned the contract (a point on which it expressed considerable doubt) without consent, the resulting breach of the agreement was not material, and therefore the vendor did not have the right to terminate the contract.

See also (list is generated automatically) :

• Notebook update: Reverse triangular merger might be an assignment of a contract, requiring consent Just updated the Notebook with a citation to a case in which the Delaware Chancery Court refused to rule out the possibility that a reverse...
• Assignment-consent requirements can cause serious problems in future M&A transactions A lot of contracts provide that Party A must obtain the prior written consent of Party B if it wishes to assign the agreement to a...
• SCOTX rejects implied obligation not to unreasonably withhold consent to assignment of contract In a recent Texas case, two sophisticated parties in the oil and gas busi­ness — let’s call them Alpha and Bravo — were negotiating a contract....
• Ken Adams and the marketplace of ideas I (used to) comment occasionally at Ken Adams’s blog. Recent examples: Here, here, here, here, and here. Ken and I disagree on a number of issues; some...

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When Should You Use an Assignment of Contract?

Real estate is full of all sorts of interesting twists and turns. For many agents, this diversity is all part of the thrill. But no matter how you feel about it, change is the norm and no two transactions are the same. For example, sometimes, in the midst of a transaction, a buyer may need to assign their contract to another buyer. This can even mean adding them to the title or the loan. But whenever a buyer needs to officially include a new buyer in the transaction, we employ what’s called an assignment of contract. 

Reasons Why an Assignment of Contract May Be Needed

You’ll find a multitude of reasons where an assignment of contract comes in handy. One of the most common arises when a buyer needs some assistance with the purchase. Say for example a young couple is purchasing their first home but can’t quite cover the costs. By employing an assignment of contract, they can add a parent as a co-buyer to ease their financial strain. 

Sometimes you’ll find a buyer who wants to assign the contract to an entity after entering into the agreement. For example, say an individual enters into an agreement but, after speaking to their legal counsel, decides it’s more beneficial to have their corporation or trust on the documents. In this case, they can use an assignment of contract to transfer the purchaser’s role to the entity. 

And finally, there are those unfortunate circumstances where a partnership dissolves during the transaction. In this case, you can use an assignment of contract to remove the problem buyer. 

The Right of Assignment of Contract Goes to the Buyer

The California Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA), issued by C.A.R., gives the right of assignment to the buyer. They have the authority to grant full or partial assignment to another buyer as long as they go through the proper procedure. This means that the buyer must use the Assignment of Agreement Addendum (AOAA). The AOAA supports an assignment of contract by formally requesting approval from the seller to add or transfer assignment. But since C.A.R. grants the right of assignment to the buyer, the seller cannot withhold this approval without a valid reason. The latest version of the AOAA gives the buyer just 17 days to issue this request unless otherwise negotiated. Previously, time limits weren’t instituted. 

Filling Out the Assignment of Agreement Addendum

On the AOAA, you’ll need to check off the corresponding box to indicate whether you are instituting total or partial assignment of contract. A partial assignment indicates that you’ll be adding a co-buyer to the transaction. A total assignment could mean you’ll be adding or even removing a buyer from the transaction. In some cases, you may even want to assign an entity (such as a trust) as a buyer. A specific box can be checked for this scenario, as well. You’ll need to specify the assignee’s name in Section C of the AOAA. 

Details of Executing an Assignment of Agreement

As the assignee, it will be your responsibility to initial every document signed prior to the AOAA. Examples include the initial contract, documents, disclosures, and reports signed by the original buyer. The buyer then delivers copies to the seller for their records.

The original contract’s stated time frame must remain unless otherwise agreed. In cases in which time frame extensions or alterations are necessary, the buyer must draft an ETA for the new contingency time frames or add an addendum to change them. 

It’s the buyer’s responsibility to deliver these documents to the seller. However, there’s plenty of freedom in how to orchestrate this. Many choose to simply deliver the accompanying documents with the AOAA itself. Others prefer to wait to deliver the documents until the seller agrees to the assignment. You can also arrange a specific date and time to return the documents to the seller. The “Time of Return Assignee-Initialed Prior Documents” section of the form provides the place to state this.

Disclosing Financial Details to the Seller

The buyer or the new assignee is also required to provide a pre-approval to the seller if they plan to obtain financing. Along similar lines, the buyer is obligated to disclose to the seller whether the assignee is receiving monetary consideration for the agreement. Once these details are finalized and the seller executes the AOAA, you can complete your assignment of contract by sending the form over to escrow. 

Jenny Manukyan

Jenny Manukyan is the Transaction Manager here at JohnHart Real Estate, as well as an agent herself. Being the supervisor and "linchpin" in our short sale operations, has endowed Jenny with invaluable knowledge; and here on the JohnHart Gazette she hopes to share that with you all!

• Jenny Manukyan https://www.johnhartrealestate.com/blog/author/jenny/ When Do You Have to Disclose a Death in a House?
• Jenny Manukyan https://www.johnhartrealestate.com/blog/author/jenny/ How to Complete Your Transfer Disclosure Statement with No Surprises
• Jenny Manukyan https://www.johnhartrealestate.com/blog/author/jenny/ Are You Sure You’re Adhering to Fair Housing Laws?
• Jenny Manukyan https://www.johnhartrealestate.com/blog/author/jenny/ How Real Estate Fixture Planning Saves You an 11th Hour Headache

About Jenny Manukyan

In the rare scenario that a seller does not approve of the assignment, can the earnest money deposit still be returned?

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Assignment transfers rights or interests from an assignor to an assignee via a written contract, defining terms and conditions , and occurs in business, IP, etc. The assignee then takes on those duties. The terms and conditions of the move are outlined in a written contract, facilitating the completion of the process. Assignments can happen in business contracts , intellectual property , insurance plans, and real estate deals, among other places. Let us explore more about Assignments in the blog below.

Types of Assignments

Assignments can vary in different niches; here are the types:

• Absolute Assignments: In an absolute assignment, the assignor gives the assignee all of the assignor's rights and duties without any conditions or limits. The person who gets the rights or funds gets full control over them.
• Conditional Assignments: Conditional assignments are when rights and duties are given to someone else based on certain conditions or events. The assignment takes effect only when the conditions in the deal are met.
• Partial Assignments: In a partial assignment, the assignor gives the receiver only some of the assignor's rights or interests. The assignor still has some control or ownership over the part that was not given away.
• Prohibited Assignments: Some rights or responsibilities cannot be transferred because the law or a contract says so. Different laws and deals have different rules about what can't be transferred.

Benefits of Assignments

Assignments help companies in several ways, such as:

• Transfer of Rights and Responsibilities: Through assignments, the assignor can give their rights, interests, or duties to another party. This makes it easy for the roles and responsibilities of each party to change without any problems.
• Financial and Risk Management Advantages: Assignments can be good for a party's finances because they let them turn their assets into cash or pass on their financial responsibilities to lower their risk.
• Streamlining Business Transactions : Assignments let people transfer rights or responsibilities that are part of contracts, licenses, or agreements. This makes business transactions easier.
• Flexibility in Asset Management: Assignments allow people or groups to manage their assets in the best possible way.
• Enhancing Business Opportunities: Assignments make it easy to transfer intellectual property rights, licenses, or contractual obligations, which can lead to new business possibilities.

Steps to Create an Assignment

Most of the time, the following steps are taken to write and pass the Assignment:

• Review the Contract. Examine the original contract with great care to determine whether or not it allows assignments and whether or not it places any restrictions on the ability to do so.
• Verify Legal Capacity. Ensure all parties can legally sign the assignment agreement. This will prevent problems with people who are not competent or too young to sign.
• Comply with Contractual Provisions. Follow any rules or standards written into the original contract about assignments.
• Avoid Prohibited Assignments. Some contracts don't allow assignments or only certain kinds of tasks, so it's important to look at the original contract to ensure you follow the rules.
• Scrutinize Assignment of Future Rights. Ensure that rights or responsibilities that haven't happened yet aren't part of the assignment. If they are, they are usually not enforceable.
• Understand Jurisdiction and Governing Law . Know the jurisdiction and the law that applies to the assignment, as this may affect whether or not it is legal and enforceable.
• Establish Dispute Resolution Mechanisms. Set up ways to settle disagreements arising from the task, like arbitration or mediation clauses.
• Conduct Due Diligence . Find out as much as possible about the original deal or agreement and make sure you understand its terms and conditions. Check out the rights, responsibilities, and possible risks of the job. Get together all of the necessary paperwork and records for the task.
• Draft Clear and Comprehensive Assignment Agreements. Make it clear what the task is for and what rights are being transferred. Set out what everyone involved in the task needs to do and what they are responsible for. Include details about future rights, possible situations, and the end of the contract.
• Seek Legal Advice and Expertise. Talk to a lawyer who knows contract law and tasks. Get legal help about the assignment's meaning and how it will affect things. Legal experts should review the assignment agreement to make sure it is valid and enforceable.
• Maintain Proper Documentation and Records. Make a complete file with all the important papers connected to the assignment. Keep track of all conversations, forms of permission, and changes or additions to the assignment agreement. Keep copies of the original deal or contract and any changes made.

Common Challenges Encountered in Assignments

• Non-Compliance with Legal Requirements: Know the federal, state, and local rules affecting assignments. Ensure you follow the rules that apply to your business or sector. Know the legal consequences of not following the rules, such as the task being canceled.
• Assignment of Future Rights: Find out if the contract includes future rights or only existing ones. In the assignment deal, be clear about how long future rights will last and what they cover. Think about possible changes or events that could affect your rights.
• Prohibited Assignments: Find out if there are any legal or contractual limits or restrictions on the task. Some examples are assignments that go against public policy, contracts for personal services, or actions against the law. Check the original deal or contract to see if there are any specific rules about assigning.
• Disputes and Resolution Mechanisms: Include a clause about how to settle disagreements in the assignment deal. Identify the optimal means of resolving a dispute, such as resorting to alternative dispute resolution mechanisms like mediation or arbitration. Consider adding a clause about attorney's fees and costs if there is a legal disagreement.

Key Terms for Assignments

• Assignor and Assignee: The person who gives someone else their rights or duties is called the assignor of those rights and duties. The person who now has the rights or responsibilities given to someone else is called the assignee.
• Assignment Agreement: A formal document that shows how rights or responsibilities have been passed from the assignor to the assignee. It spells out the assignment's rules and ensures that both sides agree.
• Obligor and Obligee: The person who owes the duties is called the obligor, and the person with the right to receive the benefits is called the obligee.
• Consideration: Consideration is a term for exchanging something of value between the people involved in the task. It ensures that both parties share and agree upon benefits or responsibilities.
• Novation: Novation happens when all parties agree to replace an old contract with a new one. This changes the rights and responsibilities of one party to those of another.

Final Thoughts on Assignments

Assignments are a big part of contract law in the United States. They let people give their rights and responsibilities to someone else. Anyone signing a contract must know the legal framework, the key parts of a valid assignment, and whether the court will uphold the assignment. If you know how the law works around tasks, you can protect your interests and handle contracts better. When confronted with contracts or tasks that present complexities in their comprehension, it is imperative to consider that seeking counsel from a legal professional or attorney is the prudent course of action. This is attributed to the inherent variability of regulations across different jurisdictions.

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Partial Assignment and Assumption Agreement, dated as of March 18, 2019, of the Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated June 28, 2013, between the Registrant and New Newscorp Inc (now known as News Corporation), which was filed as Exhibit 2.1 to the Current Report of the Registrant on Form 8-K (File No. 001-32352) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 3, 2013

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PARTIAL ASSIGNMENT

• Civil Procedure Code, Assignment

Stamp paper is not included with this agreement and is for illustration purposes only. If e -stamp is applicable in your city you can order it during checkout.

Guideline for Drafting Partial Assignment:

A Partial Assignment is a legal document used when a party wishes to transfer only a portion of their rights or interests in a property, contract, or asset to another party. This assignment is often employed in business transactions, real estate, or when sharing specific rights without transferring the entire interest. When drafting a Partial Assignment, consider the following guidelines:

Clear Identification: Clearly identify the parties involved and provide specific details about the property, contract, or asset subject to partial assignment.

Detailed Terms: Clearly outline the specific rights or interests being transferred, specifying the scope and limitations of the partial assignment.

Consent and Approval: Obtain consent from all relevant parties and ensure compliance with any contractual or legal requirements governing the assignment.

Legal Review: Utilize precise legal language and seek legal counsel to ensure the document's enforceability and compliance with applicable laws.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Ambiguous Language: Avoid using vague or unclear language that may lead to misunderstandings about the extent of the partial assignment.

Failure to Obtain Consent: Obtain necessary consents from other parties involved, ensuring adherence to any contractual obligations.

Omission of Details: Ensure all relevant details are accurately provided to prevent disputes or confusion about the partial assignment.

Ignoring Legal Formalities: Adhere to any legal formalities or recording requirements to validate the partial assignment, especially in real estate or contractual matters.

By adhering to these guidelines and avoiding common mistakes, a Partial Assignment can be effectively drafted, facilitating the partial transfer of rights or interests while maintaining clarity and legal compliance in various business and contractual scenarios.

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14.1: Assignment of Contract Rights

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Understand what an assignment is and how it is made.
• Recognize the effect of the assignment.
• Know when assignments are not allowed.
• Understand the concept of assignor’s warranties.

The Concept of a Contract Assignment

Contracts create rights and duties. By an assignment , an obligee (one who has the right to receive a contract benefit) transfers a right to receive a contract benefit owed by the obligor (the one who has a duty to perform) to a third person ( assignee ); the obligee then becomes an assignor (one who makes an assignment).

The Restatement (Second) of Contracts defines an assignment of a right as “a manifestation of the assignor’s intention to transfer it by virtue of which the assignor’s right to performance by the obligor is extinguished in whole or in part and the assignee acquires the right to such performance.”Restatement (Second) of Contracts, Section 317(1). The one who makes the assignment is both an obligee and a transferor. The assignee acquires the right to receive the contractual obligations of the promisor, who is referred to as the obligor (see Figure 14.1 "Assignment of Rights" ). The assignor may assign any right unless (1) doing so would materially change the obligation of the obligor, materially burden him, increase his risk, or otherwise diminish the value to him of the original contract; (2) statute or public policy forbids the assignment; or (3) the contract itself precludes assignment. The common law of contracts and Articles 2 and 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) govern assignments. Assignments are an important part of business financing, such as factoring. A factor is one who purchases the right to receive income from another.

Figure 14.1 Assignment of Rights

Method of Assignment

Manifesting assent.

To effect an assignment, the assignor must make known his intention to transfer the rights to the third person. The assignor’s intention must be that the assignment is effective without need of any further action or any further manifestation of intention to make the assignment. In other words, the assignor must intend and understand himself to be making the assignment then and there; he is not promising to make the assignment sometime in the future.

Under the UCC, any assignments of rights in excess of $5,000 must be in writing, but otherwise, assignments can be oral and consideration is not required: the assignor could assign the right to the assignee for nothing (not likely in commercial transactions, of course). Mrs. Franklin has the right to receive $750 a month from the sale of a house she formerly owned; she assigns the right to receive the money to her son Jason, as a gift. The assignment is good, though such a gratuitous assignment is usually revocable, which is not the case where consideration has been paid for an assignment.

Acceptance and Revocation

For the assignment to become effective, the assignee must manifest his acceptance under most circumstances. This is done automatically when, as is usually the case, the assignee has given consideration for the assignment (i.e., there is a contract between the assignor and the assignee in which the assignment is the assignor’s consideration), and then the assignment is not revocable without the assignee’s consent. Problems of acceptance normally arise only when the assignor intends the assignment as a gift. Then, for the assignment to be irrevocable, either the assignee must manifest his acceptance or the assignor must notify the assignee in writing of the assignment.

Notice to the obligor is not required, but an obligor who renders performance to the assignor without notice of the assignment (that performance of the contract is to be rendered now to the assignee) is discharged. Obviously, the assignor cannot then keep the consideration he has received; he owes it to the assignee. But if notice is given to the obligor and she performs to the assignor anyway, the assignee can recover from either the obligor or the assignee, so the obligor could have to perform twice, as in Exercise 2 at the chapter’s end, Aldana v. Colonial Palms Plaza . Of course, an obligor who receives notice of the assignment from the assignee will want to be sure the assignment has really occurred. After all, anybody could waltz up to the obligor and say, “I’m the assignee of your contract with the bank. From now on, pay me the $500 a month, not the bank.” The obligor is entitled to verification of the assignment.

Effect of Assignment

General rule.

An assignment of rights effectively makes the assignee stand in the shoes of the assignor. He gains all the rights against the obligor that the assignor had, but no more. An obligor who could avoid the assignor’s attempt to enforce the rights could avoid a similar attempt by the assignee. Likewise, under UCC Section 9-318(1), the assignee of an account is subject to all terms of the contract between the debtor and the creditor-assignor. Suppose Dealer sells a car to Buyer on a contract where Buyer is to pay $300 per month and the car is warranted for 50,000 miles. If the car goes on the fritz before then and Dealer won’t fix it, Buyer could fix it for, say, $250 and deduct that $250 from the amount owed Dealer on the next installment (called a setoff). Now, if Dealer assigns the contract to Assignee, Assignee stands in Dealer’s shoes, and Buyer could likewise deduct the $250 from payment to Assignee.

The “shoe rule” does not apply to two types of assignments. First, it is inapplicable to the sale of a negotiable instrument to a holder in due course. Second, the rule may be waived: under the UCC and at common law, the obligor may agree in the original contract not to raise defenses against the assignee that could have been raised against the assignor.Uniform Commercial Code, Section 9-206. While a waiver of defenses makes the assignment more marketable from the assignee’s point of view, it is a situation fraught with peril to an obligor, who may sign a contract without understanding the full import of the waiver. Under the waiver rule, for example, a farmer who buys a tractor on credit and discovers later that it does not work would still be required to pay a credit company that purchased the contract; his defense that the merchandise was shoddy would be unavailing (he would, as used to be said, be “having to pay on a dead horse”).

For that reason, there are various rules that limit both the holder in due course and the waiver rule. Certain defenses, the so-called real defenses (infancy, duress, and fraud in the execution, among others), may always be asserted. Also, the waiver clause in the contract must have been presented in good faith, and if the assignee has actual notice of a defense that the buyer or lessee could raise, then the waiver is ineffective. Moreover, in consumer transactions, the UCC’s rule is subject to state laws that protect consumers (people buying things used primarily for personal, family, or household purposes), and many states, by statute or court decision, have made waivers of defenses ineffective in such consumer transactions . Federal Trade Commission regulations also affect the ability of many sellers to pass on rights to assignees free of defenses that buyers could raise against them. Because of these various limitations on the holder in due course and on waivers, the “shoe rule” will not govern in consumer transactions and, if there are real defenses or the assignee does not act in good faith, in business transactions as well.

When Assignments Are Not Allowed

The general rule—as previously noted—is that most contract rights are assignable. But there are exceptions. Five of them are noted here.

Material Change in Duties of the Obligor

When an assignment has the effect of materially changing the duties that the obligor must perform, it is ineffective. Changing the party to whom the obligor must make a payment is not a material change of duty that will defeat an assignment, since that, of course, is the purpose behind most assignments. Nor will a minor change in the duties the obligor must perform defeat the assignment.

Several residents in the town of Centerville sign up on an annual basis with the Centerville Times to receive their morning paper. A customer who is moving out of town may assign his right to receive the paper to someone else within the delivery route. As long as the assignee pays for the paper, the assignment is effective; the only relationship the obligor has to the assignee is a routine delivery in exchange for payment. Obligors can consent in the original contract, however, to a subsequent assignment of duties. Here is a clause from the World Team Tennis League contract: “It is mutually agreed that the Club shall have the right to sell, assign, trade and transfer this contract to another Club in the League, and the Player agrees to accept and be bound by such sale, exchange, assignment or transfer and to faithfully perform and carry out his or her obligations under this contract as if it had been entered into by the Player and such other Club.” Consent is not necessary when the contract does not involve a personal relationship.

Assignment of Personal Rights

When it matters to the obligor who receives the benefit of his duty to perform under the contract, then the receipt of the benefit is a personal right that cannot be assigned. For example, a student seeking to earn pocket money during the school year signs up to do research work for a professor she admires and with whom she is friendly. The professor assigns the contract to one of his colleagues with whom the student does not get along. The assignment is ineffective because it matters to the student (the obligor) who the person of the assignee is. An insurance company provides auto insurance covering Mohammed Kareem, a sixty-five-year-old man who drives very carefully. Kareem cannot assign the contract to his seventeen-year-old grandson because it matters to the insurance company who the person of its insured is. Tenants usually cannot assign (sublet) their tenancies without the landlord’s permission because it matters to the landlord who the person of their tenant is. Section 14.4.1 "Nonassignable Rights" , Nassau Hotel Co. v. Barnett & Barse Corp. , is an example of the nonassignability of a personal right.

Assignment Forbidden by Statute or Public Policy

Various federal and state laws prohibit or regulate some contract assignment. The assignment of future wages is regulated by state and federal law to protect people from improvidently denying themselves future income because of immediate present financial difficulties. And even in the absence of statute, public policy might prohibit some assignments.

Contracts That Prohibit Assignment

Assignability of contract rights is useful, and prohibitions against it are not generally favored. Many contracts contain general language that prohibits assignment of rights or of “the contract.” Both the Restatement and UCC Section 2-210(3) declare that in the absence of any contrary circumstances, a provision in the agreement that prohibits assigning “the contract” bars “only the delegation to the assignee of the assignor’s performance.”Restatement (Second) of Contracts, Section 322. In other words, unless the contract specifically prohibits assignment of any of its terms, a party is free to assign anything except his or her own duties.

Even if a contractual provision explicitly prohibits it, a right to damages for breach of the whole contract is assignable under UCC Section 2-210(2) in contracts for goods. Likewise, UCC Section 9-318(4) invalidates any contract provision that prohibits assigning sums already due or to become due. Indeed, in some states, at common law, a clause specifically prohibiting assignment will fail. For example, the buyer and the seller agree to the sale of land and to a provision barring assignment of the rights under the contract. The buyer pays the full price, but the seller refuses to convey. The buyer then assigns to her friend the right to obtain title to the land from the seller. The latter’s objection that the contract precludes such an assignment will fall on deaf ears in some states; the assignment is effective, and the friend may sue for the title.

Future Contracts

The law distinguishes between assigning future rights under an existing contract and assigning rights that will arise from a future contract. Rights contingent on a future event can be assigned in exactly the same manner as existing rights, as long as the contingent rights are already incorporated in a contract. Ben has a long-standing deal with his neighbor, Mrs. Robinson, to keep the latter’s walk clear of snow at twenty dollars a snowfall. Ben is saving his money for a new printer, but when he is eighty dollars shy of the purchase price, he becomes impatient and cajoles a friend into loaning him the balance. In return, Ben assigns his friend the earnings from the next four snowfalls. The assignment is effective. However, a right that will arise from a future contract cannot be the subject of a present assignment.

Partial Assignments

An assignor may assign part of a contractual right, but only if the obligor can perform that part of his contractual obligation separately from the remainder of his obligation. Assignment of part of a payment due is always enforceable. However, if the obligor objects, neither the assignor nor the assignee may sue him unless both are party to the suit. Mrs. Robinson owes Ben one hundred dollars. Ben assigns fifty dollars of that sum to his friend. Mrs. Robinson is perplexed by this assignment and refuses to pay until the situation is explained to her satisfaction. The friend brings suit against Mrs. Robinson. The court cannot hear the case unless Ben is also a party to the suit. This ensures all parties to the dispute are present at once and avoids multiple lawsuits.

Successive Assignments

It may happen that an assignor assigns the same interest twice (see Figure 14.2 "Successive Assignments" ). With certain exceptions, the first assignee takes precedence over any subsequent assignee. One obvious exception is when the first assignment is ineffective or revocable. A subsequent assignment has the effect of revoking a prior assignment that is ineffective or revocable. Another exception: if in good faith the subsequent assignee gives consideration for the assignment and has no knowledge of the prior assignment, he takes precedence whenever he obtains payment from, performance from, or a judgment against the obligor, or whenever he receives some tangible evidence from the assignor that the right has been assigned (e.g., a bank deposit book or an insurance policy).

Some states follow the different English rule: the first assignee to give notice to the obligor has priority, regardless of the order in which the assignments were made. Furthermore, if the assignment falls within the filing requirements of UCC Article 9 (see Chapter 22 "Secured Transactions and Suretyship" ), the first assignee to file will prevail.

Figure 14.2 Successive Assignments

Assignor’s Warranties

An assignor has legal responsibilities in making assignments. He cannot blithely assign the same interests pell-mell and escape liability. Unless the contract explicitly states to the contrary, a person who assigns a right for value makes certain assignor’s warranties to the assignee: that he will not upset the assignment, that he has the right to make it, and that there are no defenses that will defeat it. However, the assignor does not guarantee payment; assignment does not by itself amount to a warranty that the obligor is solvent or will perform as agreed in the original contract. Mrs. Robinson owes Ben fifty dollars. Ben assigns this sum to his friend. Before the friend collects, Ben releases Mrs. Robinson from her obligation. The friend may sue Ben for the fifty dollars. Or again, if Ben represents to his friend that Mrs. Robinson owes him (Ben) fifty dollars and assigns his friend that amount, but in fact Mrs. Robinson does not owe Ben that much, then Ben has breached his assignor’s warranty. The assignor’s warranties may be express or implied.

KEY TAKEAWAY

Generally, it is OK for an obligee to assign the right to receive contractual performance from the obligor to a third party. The effect of the assignment is to make the assignee stand in the shoes of the assignor, taking all the latter’s rights and all the defenses against nonperformance that the obligor might raise against the assignor. But the obligor may agree in advance to waive defenses against the assignee, unless such waiver is prohibited by law.

There are some exceptions to the rule that contract rights are assignable. Some, such as personal rights, are not circumstances where the obligor’s duties would materially change, cases where assignability is forbidden by statute or public policy, or, with some limits, cases where the contract itself prohibits assignment. Partial assignments and successive assignments can happen, and rules govern the resolution of problems arising from them.

When the assignor makes the assignment, that person makes certain warranties, express or implied, to the assignee, basically to the effect that the assignment is good and the assignor knows of no reason why the assignee will not get performance from the obligor.

• If Able makes a valid assignment to Baker of his contract to receive monthly rental payments from Tenant, how is Baker’s right different from what Able’s was?
• Able made a valid assignment to Baker of his contract to receive monthly purchase payments from Carr, who bought an automobile from Able. The car had a 180-day warranty, but the car malfunctioned within that time. Able had quit the auto business entirely. May Carr withhold payments from Baker to offset the cost of needed repairs?
• Assume in the case in Exercise 2 that Baker knew Able was selling defective cars just before his (Able’s) withdrawal from the auto business. How, if at all, does that change Baker’s rights?
• Why are leases generally not assignable? Why are insurance contracts not assignable?

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Giants Sign LB Matthew Adams

The Giants continue to add veterans to help their special teams units.

• Author: Patricia Traina
• Publish date: Apr 12, 2024

In this story:

The New York Giants have signed linebacker Matthew Adams, adding depth to their outside linebacker group and, perhaps more significantly, their special teams units.

Adams, 6-0 and 230 pounds, was originally selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 2018 draft after finishing his college career at the University of Houston, where he was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team.

He played four seasons for the Colts, appearing in 58 games with nine starts and recording 55 tackles. After his four-year stint with the Colts, Adams spent one year each with the Chicago Bears and, most recently, the Cleveland Browns.

The 28-year-old Adams' career totals include 98 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. In addition to his play on defense, he was a core special teams player, having participated in 435 special team snaps last season for the Browns, in which he forced a fumble against the Jets in Week 17.

Adams finished the 2023 season as the Browns' special teams tackle leader, having recorded a career-high ten special teams tackles (seven solo) and the aforementioned forced fumble.

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