Case Citation
Legal Case Name

Keydata Corp. v. United States Case Brief

United States Court of Claims1974Docket #65878959
205 Ct. Cl. 467 504 F.2d 1115 20 Cont. Cas. Fed. 83,422 1974 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 16

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
4 min read

tl;dr: The court adopted the “English” rule, requiring landlords in federal leases to deliver actual possession, and found a court-ordered assignment of a claim against the U.S. valid, despite the Assignment of Claims Act.

Legal Significance: Established that federal leases are governed by the “English” rule (landlord must deliver actual possession) as a matter of uniform federal law, and clarified exceptions to the Assignment of Claims Act.

Keydata Corp. v. United States Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Keydata Corporation leased space to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), represented by the General Services Administration (GSA), in a building owned by Wyman Street Trust. The agreement involved Keydata surrendering its computer room for NASA’s use by a specific date. The Government also agreed to pay Wyman $39,000 for fixtures Keydata had installed, with Wyman then paying Keydata. Keydata failed to vacate by the agreed date, January 1, 1969. GSA subsequently cancelled the lease amendment and refused to pay the $39,000 for the fixtures. Wyman refused to sue the Government for this sum. Keydata sued Wyman in state court, obtaining a court order compelling Wyman to assign its claim against the Government to Keydata. Keydata, as assignee, then sued the United States in the Court of Claims. The Government argued the assignment violated the Assignment of Claims Act and that, under Massachusetts law (the “American” rule), Wyman had no duty to deliver actual possession, only the right to possession.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Under a federal lease agreement, is the landlord obligated to deliver actual possession of the premises to the government tenant, and is a court-ordered assignment of the landlord’s claim against the government to the de facto real party in interest void under the Assignment of Claims Act?

The plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment on its first claim was denied, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco labori

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Legal Issue

Under a federal lease agreement, is the landlord obligated to deliver actual possession of the premises to the government tenant, and is a court-ordered assignment of the landlord’s claim against the government to the de facto real party in interest void under the Assignment of Claims Act?

Conclusion

This case is significant for establishing the "English" rule (requiring delivery of Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in volupt

Legal Rule

For federal leases, a uniform federal rule applies, adopting the "English" rule Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim

Legal Analysis

The court first addressed the validity of the assignment. It reasoned that Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consecte

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  • A court-ordered assignment of a claim against the U.S. to the
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat

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