Legal Definitions - assignee

An assignee is a person who receives a right from someone else who holds that right. This transfer of rights is called an assignment. Assignments can happen in both contract and property law.

Under contract law, when one party assigns a contract, it means that they are transferring both their rights and their duties to someone else. For example, if A has a contract with B to teach B guitar for $50, A can assign this contract to C. This means that A is giving C the right to receive the $50 and the duty to teach guitar to B. A is the assignor, C is the assignee, and B is the obligee.

There are some rules about assignments in contract law. For example, you can't assign a contract that you haven't yet secured. You also can't assign a contract if it would materially change the obligor's duty and rights. If the promised performance requires a rare genius or skill, then the primary obligor cannot assign the contract. Lastly, if the secondary obligor substitutes and releases the primary obligor, it's called novation. Novation requires the obligee's consent.

Under property law, assignments typically arise in landlord-tenant situations. For example, if A is renting from landlord B but wants C to take over the lease, A can choose to assign or sublease the property to C. If A assigns the lease to C, C would have privity of estate with the landlord, while under a sublease, C would not.

Overall, an assignee is someone who receives a right from someone else. Assignments can happen in both contract and property law, and they involve transferring both rights and duties.