assignment of claim rights

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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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Assignment Of Rights Agreement: Definition & Sample

Jump to section, what is an assignment of rights agreement.

​​An assignment of rights agreement is a written document in which one party, the assignor, assigns to another party all or part of their rights under an existing contract. The most common example of this would be when someone wants to sell their shares of stock in a company.

When you buy shares from someone else (the seller), they agree to transfer them over and give up any control they had on that share. This way, another party can take ownership without going through the trouble of trying to buy the whole company themselves.

Common Sections in Assignment Of Rights Agreements

Below is a list of common sections included in Assignment Of Rights Agreements. These sections are linked to the below sample agreement for you to explore.

Assignment Of Rights Agreement Sample

Reference : Security Exchange Commission - Edgar Database, EX-99.(H)(7) 5 dex99h7.htm FORM OF ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT , Viewed December 20, 2021, View Source on SEC .

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Article III, Section 2, Clause 1:

The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority;—to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls;—to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction; to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party;—to Controversies between two or more States; between a State and Citizens of another State, between Citizens of different States,—between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.

An assignment of a legal claim occurs when one party (the “assignor” ) transfers its rights in a cause of action to another party (the “assignee” ). 1 Footnote Black’s Law Dictionary 136 (9th ed. 2009) (defining “assignment” as “the transfer of rights or property” ). The Supreme Court has held that a private litigant may have standing to sue to redress an injury to another party when the injured party has assigned at least a portion of its claim for damages from that injury to the litigant. The Supreme Court in the 2000 case Vermont Agency of Natural Resources v. United States ex rel. Stevens held that private individuals may have Article III standing to bring a qui tam civil action in federal court under the federal False Claims Act (FCA) on behalf of the federal government if authorized to do so. 2 Footnote 529 U.S. 765, 768, 778 (2000) . The FCA imposes civil liability upon “any person” who, among other things, knowingly presents to the federal government a false or fraudulent claim for payment. 3 Footnote 31 U.S.C. § 3729(a) . To encourage citizens to enforce the Act, in certain circumstances, a private individual, known as a “relator,” may bring a civil action for violations of the Act. Such plaintiffs sue under the name of the United States and may receive a share of any recovered proceeds from the action. 4 Footnote Id. § 3730(d)(1)–(2) . Under the FCA, the relator is not merely the agent of the United States but an individual with an interest in the lawsuit itself. 5 Footnote Vt. Agency of Nat. Res. , 529 U.S. at 772 ( “For the portion of the recovery retained by the relator . . . some explanation of standing other than agency for the Government must be identified.” ) (citing 31 U.S.C. § 3730 ).

Ordinarily, if the relator’s financial interest in the outcome of the case were merely a byproduct of the suit itself, there would be no injury sufficient for standing. 6 Footnote Id. at 772–73 ( “An interest unrelated to injury in fact is insufficient to give a plaintiff standing. . . . A qui tam relator has suffered no [invasion of a legally protected right]—indeed, the ‘right’ he seeks to vindicate does not even fully materialize until the litigation is completed and the relator prevails.” ) (citations omitted). The Supreme Court has held that a litigant’s interest in recovering attorneys’ fees or the costs of bringing suit by itself normally does not confer standing to sue. E.g. Steel Co. v. Citizens for a Better Env’t, 523 U.S. 83, 107 (1998) ( “The litigation must give the plaintiff some other benefit besides reimbursement of costs that are a byproduct of the litigation itself.” ); Diamond v. Charles, 476 U.S. 54, 70–71 (1986) ( “[T]he mere fact that continued adjudication would provide a remedy for an injury that is only a byproduct of the suit itself does not mean that the injury is cognizable under Art. III.” ). In Stevens , however, the Supreme Court recognized a distinction that confers standing upon qui tam plaintiffs in FCA cases. Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the Court, determined that assignments of claims are distinguishable from cases in which a litigant has a mere financial interest in the outcome of the suit because the assignee-plaintiff actually owns a stake in the dispute as a legal matter. 7 Footnote Vt. Agency of Nat. Res. , 529 U.S. at 773 . Justice Scalia drew support for this distinction from the long-standing historical practice of the government assigning a portion of its damages claim to a private party and allowing that party to assert the injury suffered by the federal government as a representative of the United States. 8 Footnote Id. at 774, 778 The Court noted the “long tradition of qui tam actions in England and the American colonies,” 9 Footnote Id. concluding that “Article III’s restriction of the judicial power to ‘Cases’ and ‘Controversies’ is properly understood to mean ‘cases and controversies of the sort traditionally amenable to, and resolved by, the judicial process.’” 10 Footnote Id. Although the Court held that the relator had standing to sue under the qui tam provision, it ultimately determined that the plaintiff could not maintain the action against a state agency for allegedly submitting false grant claims to the EPA because states were not “persons” subject to liability under the False Claims Act. Id. at 787 .

Eight years after deciding Stevens , the Supreme Court again found that an assignee of a claim had standing, even when the assignee had promised to remit all of the money it recovered in the proceedings to the assignor. 11 Footnote Sprint Commc’ns Co. v. APCC Servs., Inc. , 554 U.S. 269 , 271 (2008) . In Sprint Communications Co. v. APCC Services, Inc. , payphone operators had assigned their legal claims for money owed to them by long-distance communications carriers to third-party collection agencies. 12 Footnote Id. at 271–72 . The agencies were authorized to bring suit on behalf of the payphone operators and promised to pay all of the proceeds of the litigation to the payphone operators for a fee. 13 Footnote Id. at 272 . The Court held that these collection agencies had standing to pursue the operators’ claims because of the long history of courts’ acceptance of such claims. 14 Footnote Id. at 273–75 . The Court noted that “federal courts routinely entertain suits which will result in relief for parties that are not themselves directly bringing suit. Trustees bring suits to benefit their trusts; guardians ad litem bring suits to benefit their wards; receivers bring suit to benefit their receiverships; assignees in bankruptcy bring suit to benefit bankrupt estates; executors bring suit to benefit testator estates; and so forth.” Id. at 287–88 . Assignment was sufficient to transfer the injury to the collections agencies, and the injury to the operators that had been transferred to the collection agencies would be redressed by a favorable judicial decision, even if the agencies would subsequently pay all of the proceeds to the operators. 15 Footnote Id. at 286–87 ( “[I]f the [collection agencies] prevail in this litigation, the long-distance carriers would write a check to [them] for the amount of dial-around compensation owed. What does it matter what the [agencies] do with the money afterward?” ).

The Stevens and Sprint cases could have broader implications for Article III standing doctrine, as they suggest a way in which the constitutional limitations on standing may be bypassed through the assignment of rights to a third party. 16 Footnote See also ArtIII.S2.C1.6.4.3 Particularized Injury. For instance, if Congress enacts a federal statute recognizing an injury to the federal government that otherwise satisfies Article III’s requirements, it may assign a portion of its claim to a private party, thereby potentially giving that plaintiff standing to sue as a representative of the United States. 17 Footnote See Vt. Agency of Nat. Res. , 529 U.S. at 773 . This is essentially the operation of the False Claims Act. 18 Footnote 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729–3733 . However, it is unclear whether every such statute would necessarily resolve all Article III standing concerns. In Stevens and Sprint , the Court gave significant weight to the lengthy history of courts recognizing the types of assignments at issue when determining that the litigants in those cases had standing to sue. 19 Footnote See id. at 774, 778 ; Sprint Commc’ns Co. , 554 U.S. at 273–75 . Moreover, there may be a number of concerns about the constitutionality and practicality of using assignments to delegate core government functions (e.g., criminal prosecutions) to private parties when courts have not historically recognized claims based on such assignments, including concerns about interference with the Executive Branch’s Article II powers and prosecutorial discretion. 20 Footnote See Heather Elliott , Congress’s Inability to Solve Standing Problems , 91 B.U. L. Rev. 159 , 195–204 (2011) (questioning whether Congress’s assignment of claims to citizen suitors in order to confer standing would be constitutional or practical).

Assignment of Rights Agreement: Everything You Need to Know

An assignment of rights agreement refers to a situation in which one party, known as the assignor, shifts contract rights to another party, known as assignee. 3 min read

An assignment of rights agreement refers to a situation in which one party, known as the assignor, shifts contract rights to another party. The party taking on the rights is known as the assignee.

An Assignment of Rights Agreement

The following is an example of an assignment of rights agreement. Dave decides to buy a bicycle from John for $100 and after agreeing on the price, Dave and John draw up a written agreement. Let's suppose that there will be a one week wait before the bicycle is ready for delivery to Dave and before anything is passed between them.

Meanwhile, John accepts that he will transfer his right to be paid $100 from Dave to Rob, in exchange for Rob paying John $90 immediately. Let's assume that John's motivation is an immediate need for cash. In this context, John is regarded as the assignor and Rob is the assignee.

John is the assignor as he is giving the assignment to Rob and Rob is the assignee because he is acquiring the assignment from John. To put it simply, the assignee is the party who gets something. In this case, Rob will receive $100.

Rules of Assignments

Assignments frequently occur in contracts. It's important to note the following points:

• The assignor (e.g. John) is accountable according to the contract unless the parties make an agreement that states otherwise.
• This means that if Dave does not receive the bicycle, he can sue John for it.
• Assignments are allowed in almost every type of agreement unless the contract includes an explicit ban on assignments or unless a specific exception is applicable.
• The assignor does not need to speak to the other contract party in order to create the assignment. For example, John would not need to ask Dave if John can transfer his right to be paid to Rob.

Exceptions Where a Contract Cannot be Assigned

• Some exceptions dictate that a contract cannot be assigned .
• Unenforceable assignments include the following: a personal services agreement, changing the contract duties, changing the material provisions of the agreement (e.g. time, amount, location, etc.).
• An example of a personal services agreement, which cannot be assigned, would be if you decided to employ a particular professional writer to write a book for you.
• That writer would not be allowed to take your payment and then give the work to another writer because you employed that particular writer to write the book, rather than someone else.
• Some kinds of assignments have to be in writing in order to be enforceable such as assignments of actual property (e.g. selling your house), loans, or debts.
• It's best to look at the statute of frauds for more information on the kinds of agreements that must be in writing.

Delegations and Novations

A delegation is very similar to an assignment in terms of what it involves. A delegation takes place when a party moves his or her obligations (or liabilities) under an agreement to a different party. Assignments, on the other hand, involve the transfer of rights.

If the parties in our previous example had created a novation , Rob would be entirely accountable to Dave and John would be clear of responsibility. A novation replaces the earliest party with a new party.

Contract Assignment

An Assignment Agreement can also be called a Contract Assignment. Another example of this would be if you're a contractor who needs assistance finishing a job. You could give those tasks and rights to a subcontractor, but only if the original agreement does not prohibit the assignment of these rights and responsibilities.

Creating an Assignment Agreement

In an Assignment Agreement, it is important to include details such as:

• The name of the person assigning the responsibilities (known as the assignor)
• The name of the of the party who is taking the rights and responsibilities (the assignee)
• The other party to the first agreement (known as the obligor)
• The name of the agreement and its expiration date
• Whether the first contract necessitates the obligor's approval before assigning rights
• The date of the obligor's consent
• When the contract will be put into effect
• Which state's laws will regulate the contract

If you need help with an assignment of rights agreement, 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 Example
• Assignment of Contract Rights
• Assignment of Rights and Obligations Under a Contract
• Partial Assignment of Contract
• Assignment Contract Law
• What Is the Definition of Assigns
• Assignment Law
• Assignment Of Contracts
• Legal Assignment
• Delegation vs Assignment

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Chapter 12 – Third-Party Rights

12.2 Assignment of Contract Rights

Contracts create rights and obligations between contracting parties. An assignment is the transfer of rights under a contract from one party (the assignor ) to another party (the assignee ). When a party assigns their rights under a contract, they are essentially transferring their ability to receive benefits or enforce terms of the contract to someone else. Stated another way, an assignment occurs when 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). So, the party that makes the assignment is both an obligee and an assignor. The assignee acquires the right to receive the contractual obligations of the promisor, who is referred to as the obligor.

Generally, 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 a common occurrence in business, legal, and financial transactions.

Figure 12 .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. This intention must take place in the present – it cannot be a future intention. 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. 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 no exchange of money or any other consideration. For example, 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, and need not be written.

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. Thus, if Mrs. Franklin assigns the $750 a month from the sale of her house to her son Jason as a gift, this assignment is valid, but revocable.

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 from their obligation within the contract. 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. 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

An assignment of rights effectively makes the assignee “ stand in the shoes” of   the assignor (the “shoe rule”). 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. 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. 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.     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.

Prohibited Assignments

The general rule—as previously noted—is that most contract rights are assignable, and the law favors freely assignable rights. There are five exceptions to this rule however.

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. But, some changes are significant enough to bar assignments.

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. But if the change involves assigning the right to receive the paper to someone that is outside of the delivery route, that change would be material, and the assignment could be invalid.

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. It is for this same reason that tenants usually cannot assign (sublet) their tenancies without the landlord’s permission because it matters to the landlord who the person is that is living in the landlord’s property.

Nassau Hotel Co. v. Barnett & Barse Corporation , 147 N.Y.S. 283 (1914)

MCLAUGHLIN, J.

Plaintiff owns a hotel at Long Beach, L. I., and on the 21st of November, 1912, it entered into a written agreement with the individual defendants Barnett and Barse to conduct the same for a period of years.…Shortly after this agreement was signed, Barnett and Barse organized the Barnett & Barse Corporation with a capital stock of $10,000, and then assigned the agreement to it. Immediately following the assignment, the corporation went into possession and assumed to carry out its terms. The plaintiff thereupon brought this action to cancel the agreement and to recover possession of the hotel and furniture therein, on the ground that the agreement was not assignable. [Summary judgment in favor of the plaintiff, defendant corporation appeals.]

The only question presented is whether the agreement was assignable. It provided, according to the allegations of the complaint, that the plaintiff leased the property to Barnett and Barse with all its equipment and furniture for a period of three years, with a privilege of five successive renewals of three years each. It expressly provided:

‘That said lessees…become responsible for the operation of the said hotel and for the upkeep and maintenance thereof and of all its furniture and equipment in accordance with the terms of this agreement and the said lessees shall have the exclusive possession, control and management thereof. * * * The said lessees hereby covenant and agree that they will operate the said hotel at all times in a first-class business-like manner, keep the same open for at least six (6) months of each year, * * *’ and ‘in lieu of rental the lessor and lessees hereby covenant and agree that the gross receipts of such operation shall be, as received, divided between the parties hereto as follows: (a) Nineteen per cent. (19%) to the lessor. * * * In the event of the failure of the lessees well and truly to perform the covenants and agreements herein contained,’ they should be liable in the sum of $50,000 as liquidated damages. That ‘in consideration and upon condition that the said lessees shall well and faithfully perform all the covenants and agreements by them to be performed without evasion or delay the said lessor for itself and its successors, covenants and agrees that the said lessees, their legal representatives and assigns may at all times during said term and the renewals thereof peaceably have and enjoy the said demised premises.’ And that ‘this agreement shall inure to the benefit of and bind the respective parties hereto, their personal representatives, successors and assigns.’

The complaint further alleges that the agreement was entered into by plaintiff in reliance upon the financial responsibility of Barnett and Barse, their personal character, and especially the experience of Barnett in conducting hotels; that, though he at first held a controlling interest in the Barnett & Barse Corporation, he has since sold all his stock to the defendant Barse, and has no interest in the corporation and no longer devotes any time or attention to the management or operation of the hotel.

…[C]learly…the agreement in question was personal to Barnett and Barse and could not be assigned by them without the plaintiff’s consent. By its terms the plaintiff not only entrusted them with the care and management of the hotel and its furnishings—valued, according to the allegations of the complaint, at more than $1,000,000—but agreed to accept as rental or compensation a percentage of the gross receipts. Obviously, the receipts depended to a large extent upon the management, and the care of the property upon the personal character and responsibility of the persons in possession. When the whole agreement is read, it is apparent that the plaintiff relied, in making it, upon the personal covenants of Barnett and Barse. They were financially responsible. As already said, Barnett had had a long and successful experience in managing hotels, which was undoubtedly an inducing cause for plaintiff’s making the agreement in question and for personally obligating them to carry out its terms.

It is suggested that because there is a clause in the agreement to the effect that it should ‘inure to the benefit of and bind the respective parties hereto, their personal representatives and assigns,’ that Barnett and Barse had a right to assign it to the corporation. But the intention of the parties is to be gathered, not from one clause, but from the entire instrument [Citation] and when it is thus read it clearly appears that Barnett and Barse were to personally carry out the terms of the agreement and did not have a right to assign it. This follows from the language used, which shows that a personal trust or confidence was reposed by the plaintiff in Barnett and Barse when the agreement was made.

In [Citation] it was said: “Rights arising out of contract cannot be transferred if they…involve a relation of personal confidence such that the party whose agreement conferred those rights must have intended them to be exercised only by him in whom he actually confided.”

This rule was applied in [Citation] the court holding that the plaintiff—the assignee—was not only technically, but substantially, a different entity from its predecessor, and that the defendant was not obliged to entrust its money collected on the sale of the presses to the responsibility of an entirely different corporation from that with which it had contracted, and that the contract could not be assigned to the plaintiff without the assent of the other party to it.

The reason which underlies the basis of the rule is that a party has the right to the benefit contemplated from the character, credit, and substance of him with whom he contracts, and in such case he is not bound to recognize…an assignment of the contract.

The order appealed from, therefore, is affirmed.

Case questions

• The corporation created to operate the hotel was apparently owned and operated by the same two men the plaintiff leased the hotel to in the first place. What objection would the plaintiff have to the corporate entity—actually, of course, a legal fiction—owning and operating the hotel?
• The defendants pointed to the clause about the contract inuring to the benefit of the parties “and assigns.” So the defendants assigned the contract. How could that not be allowed by the contract’s own terms?
• What is the controlling rule of law upon which the outcome here depends?

Assignment Forbidden by Statute or Public Policy

Various federal and state laws prohibit or regulate some contract assignments. For example, the assignment of future wages is regulated by state and federal law, such an attempt to try to effect such an assignment would not be valid. And even in the absence of statute, public policy might prohibit some assignments.

Contracts That Prohibit Assignment

A written contract may contain general language that prohibits assignment of rights or assignment 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.”     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. Bottom line, even though a contract may expressly state it cannot be assigned, that may not always be the case.

As we saw with integration clauses, if you are a Verizon Wireless ™ customer, you have agreed to their terms regarding assignment:

You cannot assign this Agreement or any of your rights or duties under it without our permission. However, we may assign this Agreement or any debt you owe us without notifying you.

Such assignment clauses can be found in many common contracts.

Rose v. Vulcan Materials Co. 194 S.E.2d 521 (N.C. 1973)

HUSKINS, J.

…Plaintiff [Rose], after leasing his quarry to J. E. Dooley and Son, Inc., promised not to engage in the rock-crushing business within an eight-mile radius of [the city of] Elkin for a period of ten years. In return for this promise, J. E. Dooley and Son, Inc., promised, among other things, to furnish plaintiff stone f.o.b. the quarry site at Cycle, North Carolina, at stipulated prices for ten years.…

By a contract effective 23 April 1960, Vulcan Materials Company, a corporation…, purchased the stone quarry operations and the assets and obligations of J. E. Dooley and Son, Inc.…[Vulcan sent Rose a letter, part of which read:]

Mr. Dooley brought to us this morning the contracts between you and his companies, copies of which are attached. This is to advise that Vulcan Materials Company assumes all phases of these contracts and intends to carry out the conditions of these contracts as they are stated.

In early 1961 Vulcan notified plaintiff that it would no longer sell stone to him at the prices set out in [the agreement between Rose and Dooley] and would thereafter charge plaintiff the same prices charged all of its other customers for stone. Commencing 11 May 1961, Vulcan raised stone prices to the plaintiff to a level in excess of the prices specified in [the Rose-Dooley agreement].

At the time Vulcan increased the prices of stone to amounts in excess of those specified in [the Rose-Dooley contract], plaintiff was engaged in his ready-mix cement business, using large quantities of stone, and had no other practical source of supply. Advising Vulcan that he intended to sue for breach of contract, he continued to purchase stone from Vulcan under protest.…

The total of these amounts over and above the prices specified in [the Rose-Dooley contract] is $25,231.57, [about $260,000 in 2024 dollars] and plaintiff seeks to recover said amount in this action.

The [Rose-Dooley] agreement was an executory bilateral contract under which plaintiff’s promise not to compete for ten years gained him a ten-year option to buy stone at specified prices. In most states, the assignee of an executory bilateral contract is not liable to anyone for the nonperformance of the assignor’s duties thereunder unless he expressly promises his assignor or the other contracting party to perform, or ‘assume,’ such duties.…These states refuse to imply a promise to perform the duties, but if the assignee expressly promises his assignor to perform, he is liable to the other contracting party on a third-party beneficiary theory. And, if the assignee makes such a promise directly to the other contracting party upon a consideration, of course he is liable to him thereon. [Citation]

A minority of states holds that the assignee of an executory bilateral contract under a general assignment becomes not only assignee of the rights of the assignor but also delegatee of his duties; and that, absent a showing of contrary intent, the assignee impliedly promises the assignor that he will perform the duties so delegated. This rule is expressed in Restatement, Contracts, s 164 (1932) as follows:

(1) Where a party under a bilateral contract which is at the time wholly or partially executory on both sides purports to assign the whole contract, his action is interpreted, in the absence of circumstances showing a contrary intention, as an assignment of the assignor’s rights under the contract and a delegation of the performance of the assignor’s duties.

(2) Acceptance by the assignee of such an assignment is interpreted, in the absence of circumstances showing a contrary intention, as both an assent to become an assignee of the assignor’s rights and as a promise to the assignor to assume the performance of the assignor’s duties.’ (emphasis added)

We…adopt the Restatement rule and expressly hold that the assignee under a general assignment of an executory bilateral contract, in the absence of circumstances showing a contrary intention, becomes the delegatee of his assignor’s duties and impliedly promises his assignor that he will perform such duties.

The rule we adopt and reaffirm here is regarded as the more reasonable view by legal scholars and textwriters. Professor Grismore says:

It is submitted that the acceptance of an assignment in this form does presumptively import a tacit promise on the part of the assignee to assume the burdens of the contract, and that this presumption should prevail in the absence of the clear showing of a contrary intention. The presumption seems reasonable in view of the evident expectation of the parties. The assignment on its face indicates an intent to do more than simply to transfer the benefits assured by the contract. It purports to transfer the contract as a whole, and since the contract is made up of both benefits and burdens both must be intended to be included.…Grismore, Is the Assignee of a Contract Liable for the Nonperformance of Delegated Duties? 18 Mich.L.Rev. 284 (1920).

In addition, with respect to transactions governed by the Uniform Commercial Code, an assignment of a contract in general terms is a delegation of performance of the duties of the assignor, and its acceptance by the assignee constitutes a promise by him to perform those duties. Our holding in this case maintains a desirable uniformity in the field of contract liability.

We further hold that the other party to the original contract may sue the assignee as a third-party beneficiary of his promise of performance which he impliedly makes to his assignor, under the rule above laid down, by accepting the general assignment.  Younce v. Lumber Co. , [Citation] (1908), holds that where the assignee makes an express promise of performance to his assignor, the other contracting party may sue him for breach thereof. We see no reason why the same result should not obtain where the assignee breaches his promise of performance implied under the rule of Restatement s 164. ‘That the assignee is liable at the suit of the third party where he expressly assumes and promises to perform delegated duties has already been decided in a few cases (citing Younce). If an express promise will support such an action it is difficult to see why a tacit promise should not have the same effect.’ Grismore, supra. Parenthetically, we note that such is the rule under the Uniform Commercial Code, [2-210].

We now apply the foregoing principles to the case at hand. The contract of 23 April 1960, between defendant and J. E. Dooley and Son, Inc., under which, as stipulated by the parties, ‘the defendant purchased the assets and obligations of J. E. Dooley and Son, Inc.,’ was a general assignment of all the assets and obligations of J. E. Dooley and Son, Inc., including those under [the Rose-Dooley contract]. When defendant accepted such assignment it thereby became delegatee of its assignor’s duties under it and impliedly promised to perform such duties.

When defendant later failed to perform such duties by refusing to continue sales of stone to plaintiff at the prices specified in [the Rose-Dooley contract], it breached its implied promise of performance and plaintiff was entitled to bring suit thereon as a third-party beneficiary.

The decision…is reversed with directions that the case be certified to the Superior Court of Forsyth County for reinstatement of the judgment of the trial court in accordance with this opinion.

• Why did Rose need the crushed rock from the quarry he originally leased to Dooley?
• What argument did Vulcan make as to why it should not be liable to sell crushed rock to Rose at the price set out in the Rose-Dooley contract?
• What rule did the court here announce in deciding that Vulcan was required to sell rock at the price set out in the Rose-Dooley contract? That is, what is the controlling rule of law in this case?

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. 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 the first assignee to file will prevail.

Figure 1 2 .2   Successive Assignments

Assignor’s Warranties

An assignor has legal responsibilities in making assignments. 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.

Video on Assignment

Check your Understanding

the transfer of rights under a contract from one party to another party

the party who transfers their rights to another

a person to whom a property right is transferred

one to whom an obligation is made

one who makes and has an obligation

a legal relationship, created by law or contract, in which a person or business owes something to another

relevant and significant

Business Law I - Interactive Copyright © 2024 by Melanie Morris is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Subpart 32.8
32.800 32.801 32.802 32.803 32.804 32.805 32.806 Enhanced Content - Details 40 U.S.C. 121(c) ; 10 U.S.C. chapter 4 and 10 U.S.C. chapter 137 legacy provisions (see 10 U.S.C. 3016 ); and 51 U.S.C. 20113 . 48 FR 42328 , Sept. 19, 1983, unless otherwise noted. Enhanced Content - Print Generate PDF This content is from the eCFR and may include recent changes applied to the CFR. The official, published CFR, is updated annually and available below under "Published Edition". You can learn more about the process here . Enhanced Content - Display Options The eCFR is displayed with paragraphs split and indented to follow the hierarchy of the document. This is an automated process for user convenience only and is not intended to alter agency intent or existing codification. A separate drafting site is available with paragraph structure matching the official CFR formatting. If you work for a Federal agency, use this drafting site when drafting amendatory language for Federal regulations: switch to eCFR drafting site . Enhanced Content - Subscribe Subscribe to: 48 CFR Part 32 Subpart 32.8 Enhanced Content - Timeline 5/26/2022 view on this date view change introduced   Enhanced Content - Go to Date Enhanced content - compare dates, enhanced content - published edition. View the most recent official publication: View Title 48 on govinfo.gov View the PDF for 48 CFR Part 32 Subpart 32.8 These links go to the official, published CFR, which is updated annually. As a result, it may not include the most recent changes applied to the CFR. Learn more . Enhanced Content - Developer Tools This document is available in the following developer friendly formats: Hierarchy JSON - Title 48 Content HTML - Subpart 32.8 Content XML - Subpart 32.8 Information and documentation can be found in our developer resources . eCFR Content The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the official legal print publication containing the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government. The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR) is a continuously updated online version of the CFR. It is not an official legal edition of the CFR. Enhanced Content Subpart 32.8—assignment of claims, 32.800 scope of subpart.. This subpart prescribes policies and procedures for the assignment of claims under the Assignment of Claims Act of 1940, as amended, ( 31 U.S.C. 3727 , 41 U.S.C. 6305 ) (hereafter referred to as the Act ). [ 48 FR 42328 , Sept. 19, 1983, as amended at 51 FR 2665 , Jan. 17, 1986; 79 FR 24212 , Apr. 29, 2014] 32.801 Definitions. Designated agency, as used in this subpart, means any department or agency of the executive branch of the United States Government (see 32.803(d)). No-setoff commitment, as used in this subpart, means a contractual undertaking that, to the extent permitted by the Act, payments by the designated agency to the assignee under an assignment of claims will not be reduced to liquidate the indebtedness of the contractor to the Government. [ 48 FR 42328 , Sept. 19, 1983, as amended at 60 FR 49730 , Sept. 26, 1995; 66 FR 2132 , Jan. 10, 2001] 32.802 Conditions. Under the Assignment of Claims Act, a contractor may assign moneys due or to become due under a contract if all the following conditions are met: ( a ) The contract specifies payments aggregating $1,000 or more. ( b ) The assignment is made to a bank, trust company, or other financing institution, including any Federal lending agency. ( c ) The contract does not prohibit the assignment. ( d ) Unless otherwise expressly permitted in the contract, the assignment— ( 1 ) Covers all unpaid amounts payable under the contract; ( 2 ) Is made only to one party, except that any assignment may be made to one party as agent or trustee for two or more parties participating in the financing of the contract; and ( 3 ) Is not subject to further assignment. ( e ) The assignee sends a written notice of assignment together with a true copy of the assignment instrument to the— ( 1 ) Contracting officer or the agency head; ( 2 ) Surety on any bond applicable to the contract; and ( 3 ) Disbursing officer designated in the contract to make payment. 32.803 Policies. ( a ) Any assignment of claims that has been made under the Act to any type of financing institution listed in 32.802(b) may thereafter be further assigned and reassigned to any such institution if the conditions in 32.802(d) and (e) continue to be met. ( b ) A contract may prohibit the assignment of claims if the agency determines the prohibition to be in the Government's interest. ( c ) Under a requirements or indefinite quantity type contract that authorizes ordering and payment by multiple Government activities, amounts due for individual orders for $1,000 or more may be assigned. ( d ) Any contract of a designated agency (see FAR 32.801), except a contract under which full payment has been made, may include a no-setoff commitment only when a determination of need is made by the head of the agency, in accordance with the Presidential delegation of authority dated October 3, 1995, and after such determination has been published in the Federal Register. The Presidential delegation makes such determinations of need subject to further guidance issued by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy. The following guidance has been provided: Use of the no-setoff provision may be appropriate to facilitate the national defense; in the event of a national emergency or natural disaster; or when the use of the no-setoff provision may facilitate private financing of contract performance. However, in the event an offeror is significantly indebted to the United States, the contracting officer should consider whether the inclusion of the no-setoff commitment in a particular contract is in the best interests of the United States. In such an event, the contracting officer should consult with the Government officer(s) responsible for collecting the debt(s). ( e ) When an assigned contract does not include a no-setoff commitment, the Government may apply against payments to the assignee any liability of the contractor to the Government arising independently of the assigned contract if the liability existed at the time notice of the assignment was received even though that liability had not yet matured so as to be due and payable. [ 48 FR 42328 , Sept. 19, 1983, as amended at 60 FR 49730 , Sept. 26, 1995; 61 FR 18921 , Apr. 29, 1996] 32.804 Extent of assignee's protection. ( a ) No payments made by the Government to the assignee under any contract assigned in accordance with the Act may be recovered on account of any liability of the contractor to the Government. This immunity of the assignee is effective whether the contractor's liability arises from or independently of the assigned contract. ( b ) Except as provided in paragraph (c) below, the inclusion of a no-setoff commitment in an assigned contract entitles the assignee to receive contract payments free of reduction or setoff for— ( 1 ) Any liability of the contractor to the Government arising independently of the contract; and ( 2 ) Any of the following liabilities of the contractor to the Government arising from the assigned contract: ( i ) Renegotiation under any statute or contract clause. ( ii ) Fines. ( iii ) Penalties, exclusive of amounts that may be collected or witheld from the contractor under, or for failure to comply with, the terms of the contract. ( iv ) Taxes or social security contributions. ( v ) Withholding or nonwithholding of taxes or social security contributions. ( c ) In some circumstances, a setoff may be appropriate even though the assigned contract includes a no-setoff commitment, e.g.— ( 1 ) When the assignee has neither made a loan under the assignment nor made a commitment to do so; or ( 2 ) To the extent that the amount due on the contract exceeds the amount of any loans made or expected to be made under a firm commitment for financing. 32.805 Procedure. ( a ) Assignments. ( 1 ) Assignments by corporations shall be— ( i ) Executed by an authorized representative; ( ii ) Attested by the secretary or the assistant secretary of the corporation; and ( iii ) Impressed with the corporate seal or accompanied by a true copy of the resolution of the corporation's board of directors authorizing the signing representative to execute the assignment. ( 2 ) Assignments by a partnership may be signed by one partner, if the assignment is accompanied by adequate evidence that the signer is a general partner of the partnership and is authorized to execute assignments on behalf of the partnership. ( 3 ) Assignments by an individual shall be signed by that individual and the signature acknowledged before a notary public or other person authorized to administer oaths. ( b ) Filing. The assignee shall forward to each party specified in 32.802(e) an original and three copies of the notice of assignment, together with one true copy of the instrument of assignment. The true copy shall be a certified duplicate or photostat copy of the original assignment. ( c ) Format for notice of assignment. The following is a suggested format for use by an assignee in providing the notice of assignment required by 32.802(e). Notice of Assignment TO: __________ [ address to one of the parties specified in 32.802(e) ]. This has reference to Contract No. ______ dated ______, entered into between ________ [ contractor's name and address ] and ________ [ government agency, name of office, and address ], for ________ [ describe nature of the contract ]. Moneys due or to become due under the contract described above have been assigned to the undersigned under the provisions of the Assignment of Claims Act of 1940, as amended, ( 31 U.S.C. 3727 , 41 U.S.C. 6305 ). A true copy of the instrument of assignment executed by the Contractor on ________ [ date ], is attached to the original notice. Payments due or to become due under this contract should be made to the undersigned assignee. Please return to the undersigned the three enclosed copies of this notice with appropriate notations showing the date and hour of receipt, and signed by the person acknowledging receipt on behalf of the addressee. Very truly yours, [ name of assignee ] [ signature of signing officer [ title of signing officer ] [ address of assignee ] Acknowledgement Receipt is acknowledged of the above notice and of a copy of the instrument of assignment. They were received at ____ (a.m.) (p.m.) on ________, 20____. [ signature ] On behalf of [ name of addressee of this notice ] ( d ) Examination by the Government. In examining and processing notices of assignment and before acknowleging their receipt, contracting officers should assure that the following conditions and any additional conditions specified in agency regulations, have been met: ( 1 ) The contract has been properly approved and executed. ( 2 ) The contract is one under which claims may be assigned. ( 3 ) The assignment covers only money due or to become due under the contract. ( 4 ) The assignee is registered separately in the System for Award Management unless one of the exceptions in 4.1102 applies. ( e ) Release of assignment. ( 1 ) A release of an assignment is required whenever— ( i ) There has been a further assignment or reassignment under the Act; or ( ii ) The contractor wishes to reestablish its right to receive further payments after the contractor's obligations to the assignee have been satisfied and a balance remains due under the contract. ( 2 ) The assignee, under a further assignment or reassignment, in order to establish a right to receive payment from the Government, must file with the addressees listed in 32.802(e) a— ( i ) Written notice of release of the contractor by the assigning financing institution; ( ii ) Copy of the release instrument; ( iii ) Written notice of the further assignment or reassignment; and ( iv ) Copy of the further assignment or reassignment instrument. ( 3 ) If the assignee releases the contractor from an assignment of claims under a contract, the contractor, in order to establish a right to receive payment of the balance due under the contract, must file a written notice of release together with a true copy of the release of assignment instrument with the addressees noted in 32.802(e). ( 4 ) The addressee of a notice of release of assignment or the official acting on behalf of that addressee shall acknowledge receipt of the notice. [ 48 FR 42328 , Sept. 19, 1983, as amended at 51 FR 2665 , Jan. 17, 1986; 52 FR 9039 , Mar. 20, 1987; 62 FR 237 , Jan. 2, 1997; 64 FR 10533 , Mar. 4, 1999; 65 FR 24325 , Apr. 25, 2000; 68 FR 56673 , Oct. 1, 2003; 78 FR 37679 , June 21, 2013; 79 FR 24212 , Apr. 29, 2014] 32.806 Contract clauses. ( 1 ) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.232-23, Assignment of Claims, in solicitations and contracts expected to exceed the micro-purchase threshold, unless the contract will prohibit the assignment of claims (see 32.803(b)). The use of the clause is not required for purchase orders. However, the clause may be used in purchase orders expected to exceed the micro-purchase threshold, that are accepted in writing by the contractor, if such use is consistent with agency policies and regulations. ( 2 ) If a no-setoff commitment has been authorized (see FAR 32.803(d)), the contracting officer shall use the clause with its Alternate I. ( b ) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.232-24, Prohibition of Assignment of Claims, in solicitations and contracts for which a determination has been made under agency regulations that the prohibition of assignment of claims is in the Government's interest. [ 48 FR 42328 , Sept. 19, 1983, as amended at 51 FR 2665 , Jan. 17, 1986; 60 FR 49730 , Sept. 26, 1995; 61 FR 18921 , Apr. 29, 1996] Reader Aids Information. About This Site Legal Status Accessibility No Fear Act Continuity Information Assignment of Claim after a Loss: What Homeowners Should Know Let’s start with the basics. If you, as a homeowner, sustain property damage or losses because of a covered event (like a fire, for example), you will need your home repaired. You choose a contractor or restoration company to do the work – but the check from the insurance company has not come through yet, and you need them to start right away. So, what can you do? You can sign an “assignment of claim,” which assigns your rights (as the policyholder) to benefits and proceeds from the loss, to the company or contractors. In the simplest of terms, the assignment of claim allows your contractor to get paid directly from the insurance company. What is the anti-transfer clause in insurance? However, many contractors and purchasers of the damaged property have found themselves in a tight spot over the years, because of something called the anti-transfer clause. As explained on the Tennessee Insurance Litigation Blog ,  the anti-transfer clause usually reads something like this: “Your rights and duties under this policy may not be transferred without our written consent except in the case of death of an individual named insured.” Sometimes, the insurance company requires written consent before an assignment of claim can be made. This clause routinely allows insurers to deny payments to contractors – but it shouldn’t, when an assignment of claim is made post-loss. What’s the difference between pre-loss vs. post-loss assignments? The Courts of Tennessee have routinely ruled on behalf of contractors and purchasers who were assigned the claim after the loss occurred. That is because the original assignee – the homeowner – was approved by the insurance company in the first place, and because the damage occurred regardless. There was no additional risk for the insurance company. Therefore, even if the contractor has a long and storied history of rule-breaking (or even criminal activity), the homeowner can assign the claim however he or she chooses; after all, the loss already happened. Where insurance companies can (and do) have a leg up is for pre-loss assignments. The insurance company underwrote the risk on Bob and Jane Homeowner because it felt confident enough to do so. Bob and Jane cannot assign their policy to another person without the approval of the insurer, even when no loss has occurred. Even if there is an anti-transfer clause in your policy, the chances are very good that a post-loss assignment cannot be legally denied by your insurer. If it is, seek out an experienced insurance dispute lawyer to help you argue the denial. One last note for Tennessee policyholders In some cases, the insurance company may decide that the amount of your loss is worth less than the cost of the renovations for which the contractor is charging. If this happens, you could be on the hook for the remainder of the costs, depending, of course, on the language of the deal with your contractor. Because of this risk, it’s wise to contact an attorney before making any decisions. Get informed about your rights from the start, and let your lawyer address any potential hiccups along the way. If your insurer lowballs your claim, your attorney can  handle the dispute , to ensure that you are compensated fairly. At McWherter Scott & Bobbitt, we have spent years fighting against unfair insurance claims policies in Tennessee and Mississippi. Let  Brandon McWherter ,  Jonathan Bobbitt  and  Clint Scott   put their knowledge and experience to work for you. Please call  731-664-1340 or fill out our  contact form . We maintain offices in Nashville, Chattanooga, Memphis, Jackson and Knoxville. Brandon McWherter has dedicated his practice to assisting insurance policyholders with their claims against insurance companies, including claims for bad faith. He is licensed in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Learn More Legal development What's in an assignment - are pre-existing claims included 08 May 2023 What you need to know Ordinarily, a party's personal right to sue another party (a 'bare right of action') is not assignable to an unrelated third party. One exception to this general rule is if the assignee has a genuine and substantial interest, or a genuine commercial interest, in enforcing the claim to be assigned that is separate or distinct from the assignment itself. In Billabong Gold Pty Ltd v Vango Mining Ltd [No 2] [2023] WASCA 58, the WA Court of Appeal held that the commercial interest supporting the assignment of a right of action need not be 'pre-existing' at the time of assignment.  What is required is that the interest be distinct from the assignment itself, not that it necessarily predate it. This decision clarifies earlier cases which seemed to suggest that the separate commercial interest needed to predate the assignment. What you need to do  Parties looking to take an assignment of rights under a contract should carefully consider whether any pre-existing or potential claims connected with that contract (for example, for breaches that may have occurred) will be included in and are enforceable following the assignment. Assignees need to ensure the assignment falls into one of a number of well‑recognised categories of cases which are exceptions to the general rule prohibiting the assignment of a bare right of action. Counterparties to contracts which have been assigned should carefully consider whether assignees looking to enforce claims arising in respect of the relevant contract before the assignment can do so. Executive Summary Subject to limited and defined exceptions, the law does not usually permit a party to assign a 'bare right of action' to another party.  For example, where Party B breaches the terms of its contract with Party A, Party A cannot usually assign to a third party (Party C) its right to sue Party B for unliquidated compensatory damages for that breach.  This prohibition is presently justified by the public policy interest of avoiding otherwise unrelated and uninterested third parties meddling in litigation and propagating disputes.  One of the well-recognised exceptions to this prohibition arises where the purported assignee of the right of action (i.e. Party C) can establish that it has a genuine and substantial interest, or a genuine commercial interest, in enforcing the claim to be assigned (with that interest being distinct and separate from the interest merely derived from the assignment itself).  In that situation, Party C is not an unrelated or uninterested third party and the policy reasons justifying the prohibition against assignment do not arise.  Against that background, WA's Court of Appeal in Billabong Gold Pty Ltd v Vango Mining Ltd [No 2] [2023] WASCA 58 ( Billabong Gold ) concluded that the relevant commercial interest did not need to arise or exist prior to the assignment.  This decision suggests broader availability of the ability to assign rights of action, and should be borne in mind by parties taking assignments of contracts where there may be existing or potential claims or causes of action connected with those contracts that have not yet been made or litigated.   Dispute Between Billabong and Vango In the primary proceedings, Billabong Gold Pty Ltd ( Billabong ) sued Vango Mining Ltd ( Vango ) and Dampier (Plutonic) Pty Ltd  ( Dampier ) in relation to alleged breaches of an Ore Treatment Agreement dated 23 September 2014 ( OTA ).   Importantly, Billabong was not a party to the OTA when it was formed.  Rather, the OTA was originally between Northern Star Resources Ltd ( Northern Star ), on the one hand, and, on the other hand, Vango and Dampier who were joint venture partners under the Plutonic Dome JV.  The Plutonic Dome JV held a number of tenements, including tenements from which gold was produced at a deposit.  The OTA relevantly granted Northern Star a 'right of first refusal' in relation to any transfer of the tenements subject to the Plutonic Dome JV.  On 11 May 2016, Vango and Dampier executed an agreement under which Vango agreed to acquire all of Dampier's interest in the tenements held by the Plutonic Dome JV ( May 2016 Vango/Dampier Sale Agreement ).  On 12 August 2016, Northern Star entered into an asset sale and purchase agreement with Billabong ( Billabong Sale and Purchase Agreement ) under which Northern Star agreed to sell its gold mining operations, including its tenements, to Billabong.  As part of this process, Northern Star and Billabong also entered into a General Deed of Assignment and Assumption dated 11 October 2016 ( Billabong Assignment Deed ) which included an assignment by Northern Star to Billabong of its rights under the OTA.  Subsequently, on 24 August 2016, Vango acquired all of the shares in Dampier, and Dampier became a wholly owned subsidiary of Vango. Relevantly, two important questions arose in the primary proceedings: Did Vango and Dampier breach the right of first refusal clause under the OTA by failing to give Northern Star the option to acquire the tenements the subject of the May 2016 Vango/Dampier Sale Agreement; and if so, did the Billabong Assignment Deed assign Northern Star's right to sue for that breach of the OTA to Billabong?  With respect to those two questions, the trial judge found that:  Vango/Dampier breached the right of first refusal clause by failing to provide offers for the transfer of tenements to Northern Star; and that cause of action in favour of Northern Star arising from that breach was a 'bare right of action' which was not assignable to Billabong as Billabong had no genuine commercial interest in enforcing the right of action for this breach of contract.   Billabong appealed and the right of action was held to be assignable On appeal, among other things, Billabong challenged the primary judge's conclusion that Northern Star's right of action in respect of Vango/Dampier's breach of the first refusal clause under the OTA could not be assigned to Billabong by the Billabong Assignment Deed.  The Court's analysis of the principles concerning the assignability of a 'bare right of action' The Court commenced its analysis by noting that the rule prohibiting the assignment of bare rights of action is justified by the public policy notions related to the doctrines of maintenance and champerty.  Maintenance refers to an unconnected third-party assisting to maintain litigation, commonly by providing financial assistance.  Champerty is a form of maintenance whereby the third-party provides financial assistance in return for a share of the proceeds.  (It is worth noting that legal causes of action are assignable at law under s 20 of the Property Law Act 1969 (WA) and its equivalents in the other States.  However, a bare right of action is not considered to be a legal chose in action, even though it is sometimes confusingly referred to as one.) A number of well-recognised exceptions to this general rule were then identified.   First, a right of action can be assigned if it is annexed to or ancillary to a property right being assigned.  Secondly, the rule does not apply if the assignee of the subsisting cause of action itself has a genuine and substantial interest, or a genuine commercial interest, in enforcing the claim that is otherwise distinct or separate from the interest merely derived from the assignment itself.  The requirement that the commercial or other interest be 'distinct or separate' exists because, were it otherwise 'the exception would swallow the rule because the assignment itself would always provide the commercial interest'.  Thirdly, there is no prohibition on an assignee taking an assignment of a cause of action to support and enlarge a right already acquired.  Fourthly, where the benefit of a contract is assigned, there is no impediment to the assignee pursuing a cause of action for breach which has occurred after the date of assignment. Does the relevant commercial interest need to pre-exist at the time of assignment? The appeal was focussed on the second exception.  The Court noted that in every case, the totality of the transaction must be considered and the concept of a genuine commercial interest is to be applied in a broad and practical way.   The Court looked at a number of earlier cases which appeared to suggest that the relevant commercial interest must exist prior to the assignment.   The Court found there was no such requirement and set out five reasons why the commercial interest need not pre-date the assignment. First, the need for a pre‑existing commercial interest does not appear to have been established by the High Court of Australia in Equuscorp Pty Ltd v Haxton [2012] HCA 7.  Equuscorp was authority for the proposition that the relevant commercial interest can at least arise contemporaneously with the assignment at issue. Secondly, this question had been left open by the New South Wales Court of Appeal in the earlier case of Bakewell v Anchorage Capital Master Offshore Ltd [2019] NSWCA 199.  Thirdly, a number of other earlier authorities only concluded that the supporting commercial interest needed to be distinct or separate from the interest acquired under the assignment itself. While this requirement is usually satisfied in circumstances where that commercial interest pre-dates the assignment, that did not constitute a strict legal criterion in itself. Fourthly, the Court reviewed persuasive authority from the United Kingdom's House of Lords and concluded that the approach adopted in that jurisdiction did not require that the supporting commercial interest be pre-existing.  Fifthly, and finally, the Court concluded that nothing in the policy justification of the rule, being the avoidance of trafficking in litigation, required that the relevant commercial interest always predate the assignment.     For those reasons, the court held that the relevant commercial interest need not be pre-existing to the assignment of the cause of the action.   In any event, Billabong had a 'sufficient commercial interest' to justify assignment of Northern Star's right of action for breach of the OTA Notwithstanding the analysis outlined above, the Court also concluded that, in any event, Billabong did hold a pre-existing commercial interest sufficient to support the assignment of the causes of action for breach of the OTA.   In summary, this was because the Billabong Sale and Purchase Agreement (which was dated 12 August 2016 and pre-dated the Billabong Assignment Deed, which was dated 11 October 2016) gave Billabong a genuine and substantial interest or a genuine commercial interest in enforcing the relevant breaches of the OTA, beyond the assignment of the OTA itself. Implications for contracting parties This decision is relevant to parties taking assignments of contracts (or who are counter-parties to a contract under which rights are being assigned) where there may be existing or potential claims or causes of action connected with those contracts that have not yet been made or litigated.   Parties looking to take an assignment of rights under a contract should actively consider whether the proposed assignment will include rights to sue or enforce pre-existing or potential claims under or in connection with the contract. Unless the rights fall into one of a number of well‑recognised categories of cases which are exceptions to the general rule prohibiting the assignment of a bare right of action, the rights will not 'follow the assignment'.  In cases where the proposed assignee is looking to rely on the exception involving a separate and distinct commercial interest in suing or enforcing the claim, this decision helpfully confirms that a pre-existing commercial interest is not strictly required.  On the other hand, counterparties to contracts which have been assigned who are facing claims by the assignee should carefully consider whether the assignee can still enforce or sue on such claims, especially in respect of claims which arose before the assignment occurred. One final point As the Court of Appeal noted, the rule prohibiting the assignment of bare rights of action has historically been justified by the public policy notions related to the doctrines of maintenance and champerty.   For those State jurisdictions where the tort of maintenance and champerty have been abolished (including, recently, Western Australia by virtue of s 36 of the Civil Procedure (Representative Proceedings) Act 2022 (WA) although the abolishment only applies to causes of action accruing after the provision came into operation), the underlying justification has now fallen away.   It remains to be seen whether courts will revisit the continued application of the rule prohibiting the assignment of bare rights of action.  If the rule is also abolished, it will remove the need for contracting parties to grapple with the complexities of the exceptions to the rule.      Authors:  Adrian Chai, Partner; Charles Dallimore, Senior Associate and Max Evangelisti, Graduate. The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Readers should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions. Key Contacts Adrian Chai Stay ahead with our business insights, updates and podcasts Sign-up to select your areas of interest Received a document? Assignment of Bond Claim Rights – Can You Contract Around Bond Limitations? 380 articles Need to file a Bond Claim? We’re the Bond Claim experts. With us it’s fast, easy, affordable, and done right. The general American rule is that all contractual rights are assign-able provided none of the following conditions are met: 1) the contract has clear language explicitly prohibiting assignment; 2) the assignment would substantially and materially change the obligor’s duty and/or materially effect an insurer’s burden or risk; 3) the assignment would materially reduce the contract’s value; or 4) the assignment is forbidden by statute or public policy. Many surety bonds, similar to insurance policies, have language purporting to expressly forbid the assignment of rights. Courts, however, may or may not accept the contractual language as prohibiting all assignments, despite the language attempting to do so. In an Ohio case, the court allowed an assignment of rights under a performance bond, but tailored the opinion fairly narrowly. In that case, the court noted that” the policies supporting contractual freedom to limit assignment do not apply when the obligee is assigning only a cause of action and does not itself owe performance of any duties”. That is, the right to proceed against the bond is assignable, but only when the obligee (assignor) has taken all of the steps necessary to give rise to the duty of the surety to perform according to the terms of the bond itself. How this applies to rights to proceed against a payment bond is debatable, but may provide some guidance. Even after this has been accomplished, however, there is still the question of what exactly is assigned. It is a clear rule that a party can assign only their own rights and/or duties. That is, an assignment of rights under a contract cannot create “new” rights not present in the contract itself, it merely shifts those rights to a different party. Therefore, when the right to recover from a bond is the assignment at issue, there can be some interesting problems. The right to make a claim against the bond on a project is, among other technical requirements, conditioned upon the fact that the party making the claim has not been paid. Which, when you think about it, is clear. If the party gets paid, there is no need to seek payment from the bond in the first place. So, in order for a non-protected party to recover from the bond if the bond claim is assignable, does that mean that what is being assigned is the “position in the project” rather than the right to make a claim itself? For example take a supplier(B) to a supplier(A) on a Miller Act project. Supplier(A) has a right to make a claim against the bond if unpaid for the materials provided. That right is conditioned upon 1) the supplying of those materials; and 2) not being paid. Therefore, if supplier(A) is paid, he no longer has any rights against the bond to assign, and if he isn’t paid it will be much more unlikely that he will want to assign his rights to supplier(B). Sample Assignment Available: Here View Profile About the author Recommended for you How to calculate construction bond claim deadlines. One quick note before we dive in: this article is about bond claim deadlines on PUBLIC construction projects. While it's... How to Make a Texas Payment Bond Claim | A Step-by-Step Guide In the construction industry, those who provide labor and materials are entitled to certain remedies that ensure payment. Contractors and... What’s the Difference Between a Mechanics Lien and a Bond Claim? To protect against nonpayment, construction participants have unique protections built into the laws of every state. These protections provide the... Little Miller Acts: Bond Requirements on State Construction Projects All 50 US states have adopted ‘Little’ Miller Acts. 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When Assigning the Right to Pursue Relief, Always Remember to Assign Title to, Or Ownership in, The Claim Posted on: Oct 4 2016 Whether a party has standing to bring a lawsuit is often considered through the constitutional lens of justiciability – that is, whether there is a “case or controversy” between the plaintiff and the defendant “within the meaning of Art. III.” Warth v. Seldin, 422 U.S. 490, 498 (1975). To have Article III standing, “the plaintiff [must have] ‘alleged such a personal stake in the outcome of the controversy’ as to warrant [its] invocation of federal-court jurisdiction and to justify exercise of the court’s remedial powers on [its] behalf.” Id. at 498–99 (quoting Baker v. Carr , 369 U.S. 186, 204 (1962)). To show a personal stake in the litigation, the plaintiff must establish three things: First, he/she has sustained an “injury in fact” that is both “concrete and particularized” and “actual or imminent.” Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife , 504 U.S. 555, 560 (1992) (internal quotation marks omitted). Second, the injury has to be caused in some way by the defendant’s action or omission. Id . Finally, a favorable resolution of the case is “likely” to redress the injury. Id . at 561. When a person or entity receives an assignment of claims, the question becomes whether he/she can show a personal stake in the outcome of the litigation, i.e. , a case and controversy “of the sort traditionally amenable to, and resolved by, the judicial process.’” Sprint Commc’ns Co., L.P. v. APCC Servs., Inc., 554 U.S. 269, 285 (2008) (quoting Vt. Agency of Natural Res. v. United States ex rel. Stevens, 529 U.S. 765, 777–78 (2000)). To assign a claim effectively, the claim’s owner “must manifest an intention to make the assignee the owner of the claim.” Advanced Magnetics, Inc. v. Bayfront Partners, Inc. , 106 F.3d 11, 17 (2d Cir. 1997) (internal quotation marks and brackets omitted). A would-be assignor need not use any particular language to validly assign its claim “so long as the language manifests [the assignor’s] intention to transfer at least title or ownership , i.e., to accomplish ‘a completed transfer of the entire interest of the assignor in the particular subject of assignment.’” Id. (emphasis added) (citations omitted). An assignor’s grant of, for example, “‘the power to commence and prosecute to final consummation or compromise any suits, actions or proceedings,’” id. at 18 (quoting agreements that were the subject of that appeal), may validly create a power of attorney, but that language would not validly assign a claim, because it does “not purport to transfer title or ownership” of one. Id. On September 15, 2016, the New York Appellate Division, First Department, issued a decision addressing the foregoing principles holding that one of the plaintiffs lacked standing to assert claims because the assignment of the right to pursue remedies did not constitute the assignment of claims.  Cortlandt St. Recovery Corp. v. Hellas Telecom., S.à.r.l. , 2016 NY Slip Op. 06051. BACKGROUND : Cortlandt involved four related actions in which the plaintiffs – Cortlandt Street Recovery Corp. (“Cortlandt”), an assignee for collection, and Wilmington Trust Co. (“WTC”), an indenture trustee – sought payment of the principal and interest on notes issued in public offerings. Each action alleged that Hellas Telecommunications, S.a.r.l. and its affiliated entities, the issuer and guarantor of the notes, transferred the proceeds of the notes by means of fraudulent conveyances to two private equity firms, Apax Partners, LLP/TPG Capital, L.P. – the other defendants named in the actions. The defendants moved to dismiss the actions on numerous grounds, including that Cortlandt, as the assignee for collection, lacked standing to pursue the actions. To cure the claimed standing defect, Cortlandt and WTC moved to amend the complaints to add SPQR Capital (Cayman) Ltd. (“SPQR”), the assignor of note interests to Cortlandt, as a plaintiff. The plaintiffs alleged that, inter alia , SPQR entered into an addendum to the assignment with Cortlandt pursuant to which Cortlandt received “all right, title, and interest” in the notes. The Motion Court granted the motions to dismiss, holding that, among other things, Cortlandt lacked standing to maintain the actions and that, although the standing defect was not jurisdictional and could be cured, the plaintiffs failed to cure the defect in the proposed amended complaint. Cortlandt St. Recovery Corp. v. Hellas Telecom., S.à.r.l. , 47 Misc. 3d 544 (Sup. Ct., N.Y. Cnty. 2014). The Motion Court’s Ruling As an initial matter, the Motion Court cited to the reasoning of the court in Cortlandt Street Recovery Corp. v. Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch , No. 12 Civ. 9351 (JPO), 2013 WL 3762882, 2013 US Dist. LEXIS 100741 (S.D.N.Y. July 18, 2013) (the “SDNY Action”), a related action that was dismissed on standing grounds.  The complaint in the SDNY Action, like the complaints before the Motion Court, alleged that Cortlandt was the assignee of the notes with a “right to collect” the principal and interest due on the notes. As evidence of these rights, Cortlandt produced an assignment, similar to the ones in the New York Supreme Court actions, which provided that as the assignee with the right to collect, Cortlandt could collect the principal and interest due on the notes and pursue all remedies with respect thereto. In dismissing the SDNY Action, Judge Oetken found that the complaint did not allege, and the assignment did not provide, that “title to or ownership of the claims has been assigned to Cortlandt.” 2013 WL 3762882, at *2, 2013 US Dist. LEXIS 100741, at *7. The court also found that the grant of a power of attorney (that is, the power to sue on and collect on a claim) was “not the equivalent of an assignment of ownership” of a claim. 2013 WL 3762882 at *1, 2013 US Dist. LEXIS 100741 at *5. Consequently, because the assignment did not transfer title or ownership of the claim to Cortlandt, there was no case or controversy for the court to decide ( i.e. , Cortlandt could not prove that it had an interest in the outcome of the litigation). The Motion Court “concur[red] with” Judge Oeken’s decision, holding that “the assignments to Cortlandt … were assignments of a right of collection, not of title to the claims, and are accordingly insufficient as a matter of law to confer standing upon Cortlandt.”  In so holding, the Motion Court observed that although New York does not have an analogue to Article III, it is nevertheless analogous in its requirement that a plaintiff have a stake in the outcome of the litigation: New York does not have an analogue to article III. However, the New York standards for standing are analogous, as New York requires “[t]he existence of an injury in fact—an actual legal stake in the matter being adjudicated.” Under long-standing New York law, an assignee is the “real party in interest” where the “title to the specific claim” is passed to the assignee, even if the assignee may ultimately be liable to another for the amounts collected. Citations omitted. Based upon the foregoing, the Motion Court found that Cortlandt lacked standing to pursue the actions. Cortlandt appealed the dismissal. With regard to the Motion Court’s dismissal of Cortlandt on standing grounds, the First Department affirmed the Motion Court’s ruling, holding: The [IAS] court correctly found that plaintiff Cortlandt Street Recovery Corp. lacks standing to bring the claims in Index Nos. 651693/10 and 653357/11 because, while the assignments to Cortlandt for the PIK notes granted it “full rights to collect amounts of principal and interest due on the Notes, and to pursue all remedies,” they did not transfer “title or ownership” of the claims. The Takeaway Cortlandt limits the ability of an assignee to pursue a lawsuit when the assignee has no direct interest in the outcome of the litigation. By requiring an assignee to have legal title to, or an ownership interest in, the claim, the Court made clear that only a valid assignment of a claim will suffice to fulfill the injury-in-fact requirement. Cortlandt also makes clear that a power of attorney permitting another to conduct litigation on behalf of others as their attorney-in-fact is not a valid assignment and does not confer a legal title to the claims it brings. Therefore, as the title of this article warns: when assigning the right to pursue relief, always remember to assign title to, or ownership in, the claim. Tagged with: Business Law Search for: Jump straight to: Please enter a search term What sectors are you interested in? We can use your selection to show you more of the content that you’re interested in. Sign-up and we’ll remember your preferences Sign-up to follow topics, sectors, people and also have the option to receive a weekly update of lastest news across your areas of interest. Got an account already? Sign in Want to speak to an advisor from your closest office? Out-law / your daily need-to-know. Out-Law Guide 4 min. read Assignment and novation 19 Aug 2011, 4:40 pm Assignment involves the transfer of an interest or benefit from one person to another. However the 'burden', or obligations, under a contract cannot be transferred. Assignment in construction contracts As noted above only the benefits of a contract can be assigned - not the burden. In the context of a building contract: the employer may assign its right to have the works constructed, and its right to sue the contractor in the event that the works are defective – but not its obligation to pay for the works; the contractor may assign its right to payment of the contract sum - but not its obligation to construct the works in accordance with the building contract or its obligation to meet any valid claims, for example for defects. After assignment, the assignee is entitled to the benefit of the contract and to bring proceedings against the other contracting party to enforce its rights. The assignor still owes obligations to the other contracting party, and will remain liable to perform any part of the contract that still has to be fulfilled since the burden cannot be assigned. In practice, what usually happens is that the assignee takes over the performance of the contract with effect from assignment and the assignor will generally ask to be indemnified against any breach or failure to perform by the assignee.  The assignor will remain liable for any past liabilities incurred before the assignment. In construction contracts, the issue of assignment often arises in looking at whether collateral warranties granted to parties outside of the main construction contract can be assigned. Funders may require the developer to assign contractual rights against the contractor and the design team as security to the funder, as well as the benefit of performance bonds and parent company guarantees. The developer may assign such rights to the purchaser either during or after completion of the construction phase. Contractual assignment provisions Many contracts exclude or qualify the right to assignment, and the courts have confirmed that a clause which provides that a party to a contract may not assign the benefit of that contract without the consent of the other party is legally effective and will extend to all rights and benefits arising under the contract, including the right to any remedies. Other common qualifications on the right to assign include: a restriction on assignment without the consent of the other party, whether or not such consent is not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed; only one of the parties may assign; only certain rights may be assigned – for example, warranties and indemnities may be excluded; a limit on the number of assignments - as is almost always the case in respect of collateral warranties; a right to assign only to a named assignee or class of assignee. Note that in some agreements where there is a prohibition on assignment, it is sometimes possible to find the reservation of specific rights to create a trust or establish security over the subject matter of the agreement instead. Legal and equitable assignment The Law of Property Act creates the ability to legally assign a debt or any other chose in action where the debtor, trustee or other relevant person is notified in writing. If the assignment complied with the formalities in the Act it is a legal assignment, otherwise it will be an equitable assignment. Some transfers can only take effect as an equitable assignment, for example: an oral assignment; an assignment by way of charge; an assignment of only part of the chosen in action; an assignment of which notice has not been given to the debtor; an agreement to assign. If the assignment is equitable rather than legal, the assignor cannot enforce the assigned property in its own name and to do so must join the assignee in any action. This is designed to protect the debtor from later proceedings brought by the assignor or another assignee from enforcing the action without notice of the earlier assignment. Security assignments Using assignment as a way of taking security requires special care, as follows: if the assignment is by way of charge, the assignor retains the right to sue for any loss it suffers caused by a breach of the other contract party; if there is an outright assignment coupled with an entitlement to a re-assignment back once the secured obligation has been performed, it is an assignment by way of legal mortgage. Please see our separate Out-Law guide for more information on types of security. Restrictions on assignment There are restrictions on the assignment of certain types of interest on public policy grounds, as follows: certain personal contracts – for example, a contract for the employment of a personal servant or for the benefit of a motor insurance policy cannot be assigned; a bare cause of action or 'right to sue' where the assignee has no commercial interest in the subject matter of the underlying transaction cannot be assigned; certain rights conferred by statute – for example, a liquidator's powers to bring wrongful trading proceedings against a director – cannot be assigned; an assignment of a contract may not necessarily transfer the benefit of an arbitration agreement contained in the contract; the assignment of certain rights is regulated – for example, the assignment of company shares or copyright. If you want to transfer the burden of a contract as well as the benefits under it, you have to novate. Like assignment, novation transfers the benefits under a contract but unlike assignment, novation transfers the burden under a contract as well. In a novation the original contract is extinguished and is replaced by a new one in which a third party takes up rights and obligations which duplicate those of one of the original parties to the contract. Novation does not cancel past rights and obligations under the original contract, although the parties can agree to novate these as well. Novation is only possible with the consent of the original contracting parties as well as the new party. Consideration (the 'price' paid, whether financial or otherwise, by the new party in return for the contract being novated to it) must be provided for this new contract unless the novation is documented in a deed signed by all three parties. 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Some of the cookies that we use are provided by third parties. To accept all cookies click ‘accept all’. To reject all optional cookies click ‘reject all’. To choose which optional cookies to allow click ‘cookie settings’. This tool uses a cookie to remember your choices. Please visit our cookie policy for more information. Practical Law Assignment of a claim or cause of action Practical law uk practice note 1-522-7861  (approx. 32 pages), get full access to this document with a free trial. Try free and see for yourself how Practical Law resources can improve productivity, efficiency and response times. About Practical Law This document is from Thomson Reuters Practical Law, the legal know-how that goes beyond primary law and traditional legal research to give lawyers a better starting point. 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Court proceedings: restructuring & insolvency Property: restructuring & insolvency Restructuring and Insolvency Transactions Regulation, Powers and Duties of Insolvency Practitioners 246 IMAGES FREE 10+ Assignment of Rights Contract Samples in PDF Ex 10 32 Assignment of Claim Agreement SEC Gov Form Assignment Of Rights Agreement Free Template Printed Overages Assignment Of Rights To Claim Excess Proceeds Sample Assignment of Claim for Collection With Right to Initiate Legal Assignment of a Claim for Damages Template VIDEO assignment on fundamental rights SST fifth class FUR2601 FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS ASSIGNMENT 2 2024 SEMESTER 2 Assignment 4 Assignment in insurance law, its type and procedure with notes Patient bill of rights assignment #assignment #youtube #bscnursing #viral Understanding Group Policy: User Rights Assignment Policies COMMENTS Subpart 32.8 32.802 Conditions. Under the Assignment of Claims Act, a contractor may assign moneys due or to become due under a contract if all the following conditions are met: (a) The contract specifies payments aggregating $1,000 or more. (b) The assignment is made to a bank, trust company, or other financing institution, including any Federal lending ... 31 U.S. Code § 3727 31 U.S. Code § 3727 - Assignments of claims. a transfer or assignment of any part of a claim against the United States Government or of an interest in the claim; or. the authorization to receive payment for any part of the claim. An assignment may be made only after a claim is allowed, the amount of the claim is decided, and a warrant for ... Assignments: The Basic Law Assignments: The Basic Law Assignment of Claims Explained The assignment of claims is a legal and financial process where an individual or entity (the assignor) transfers a claim or a right to another party (the assignee). This claim could be any asset, such as a receivable or a contract right. The assignee, upon receiving the claim, has the right to seek fulfillment from the debtor or obligor. Assignment Of Rights Agreement: Definition & Sample An assignment of rights agreement is a written document in which one party, the assignor, assigns to another party all or part of their rights under an existing contract. The most common example of this would be when someone wants to sell their shares of stock in a company. When you buy shares from someone else (the seller), they agree to ... 52.232-23 Assignment of Claims. Assignment of Claims (May 2014) (a) The Contractor, under the Assignment of Claims Act, as amended, 31 U.S.C.3727, 41 U.S.C.6305 (hereafter referred to as "the Act"), may assign its rights to be paid amounts due or to become due as a result of the performance of this contract to a bank, trust company, or other financing institution, including ... Federal Assignment of Claims Act Explained The Federal Assignment of Claims Act, commonly known as the "Assignment Act," emerged as a response to the needs of contractors and subcontractors in the federal procurement process. This Act was enacted to provide a legal framework for the assignment of claims against the federal government, ensuring fair and efficient resolution of disputes. Assignees of a Claim An assignment of a legal claim occurs when one party (the "assignor" ) transfers its rights in a cause of action to another party (the "assignee" ). 1. The Supreme Court has held that a private litigant may have standing to sue to redress an injury to another party when the injured party has assigned at least a portion of its claim for ... Assignment of Rights Agreement: Everything You Need to Know An assignment of rights agreement refers to a situation in which one party, known as the assignor, shifts contract rights to another party. The party taking on the rights is known as the assignee. An Assignment of Rights Agreement. The following is an example of an assignment of rights agreement. Dave decides to buy a bicycle from John for $100 ... PDF Assigning Claims and Contracts in Texas ence34ASSIGNING CONTRACTS VS. CLAIMSAssignment of rights under a contract and the assignment of a right to bring a cause of action for breach of that contra. t are two legally distinct. assignments.Pagosa Oil and Gas, LLC v. Marrs and Smith P'ship, 323 S.W.3d 203, 211-212. 12.2 Assignment of Contract Rights 12.2 Assignment of Contract Rights Contracts create rights and obligations between contracting parties. An assignment is the transfer of rights under a contract from one party (the assignor) to another party (the assignee).When a party assigns their rights under a contract, they are essentially transferring their ability to receive benefits or enforce terms of the contract to someone else. 48 CFR Part 32 Subpart 32.8 -- Assignment of Claims 32.806 Contract clauses. (a) (1) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.232-23, Assignment of Claims, in solicitations and contracts expected to exceed the micro-purchase threshold, unless the contract will prohibit the assignment of claims (see 32.803 (b)). The use of the clause is not required for purchase orders. Contracting Concepts: Assignment of Claims Let's posit that the Assignment of Claims is for $500,000, and the company owes the government $100,000. If there is a "no-setoff commitment," then the bank will be paid the entire $500,000 once the contractor's work is completed. Without the no-setoff commitment, the government in this scenario would pay the bank $400,000 and keep the ... PDF ASSIGNMENT OF CLAIMS To use Professor Guest's sub-division2, there are 4 contexts in which to consider restrictions on assignment: Contractual Terms prohibiting Assignment; Assignments prohibited by Statute or Public Policy; Assignment of Personal Contracts and Covenants; and Assignments which adversely affect the Obligor. 5. Rights and Liabilities of Assignee and Assignor Rights and Liabilities of Assignee and Assignor - Assignments Assignment of Claim after a Loss: What Homeowners Should Know At McWherter Scott & Bobbitt, we have spent years fighting against unfair insurance claims policies in Tennessee and Mississippi. Let Brandon McWherter , Jonathan Bobbitt and Clint Scott put their knowledge and experience to work for you. Please call 731-664-1340 or fill out our contact form. 52.232-23 Assignment of Claims. 52.232-23 Assignment of Claims. The Contractor, under the Assignment of Claims Act, as amended, 31 U.S.C.3727, 41 U.S.C.6305 (hereafter referred to as "the Act"), may assign its rights to be paid amounts due or to become due as a result of the performance of this contract to a bank, trust company, or other financing institution, including any ... Whats in an assignment Parties looking to take an assignment of rights under a contract should carefully consider whether any pre-existing or potential claims connected with that contract (for example, for breaches that may have occurred) will be included in and are enforceable following the assignment. Assignees need to ensure the assignment falls into one of a ... Ex-10.32 Assignment of Claim Agreement This assignment shall be deemed an absolute and unconditional assignment of the Claim for the purpose of collection and satisfaction, and shall not be deemed to create a security interest. For the avoidance of doubt, the Transferred Rights shall not include any claims of Assignor against Debtor that arose after the Filing Date. Assignment of Bond Claim Rights The general American rule is that all contractual rights are assign-able provided none of the following conditions are met: 1) the contract has clear language explicitly prohibiting assignment; 2) the assignment would substantially and materially change the obligor's duty and/or materially effect an insurer's burden or risk; 3) the assignment would materially reduce the contract's value ... When Assigning the Right to Pursue Relief, Always Remember to Assign When Assigning the Right to Pursue Relief, Always ... Assignment and novation Like assignment, novation transfers the benefits under a contract but unlike assignment, novation transfers the burden under a contract as well. In a novation the original contract is extinguished and is replaced by a new one in which a third party takes up rights and obligations which duplicate those of one of the original parties to the ... Assignment of a claim or cause of action Resource ID 1-522-7861. This note explains how a claim or cause of action may be assigned, whether by legal assignment or equitable assignment. It sets out the situations in which an assignment may be effected, including assignment in the context of an administration, liquidation or bankruptcy. The note provides guidance on drafting an ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis