Citizens Bank & Trust Co. v. Barlow Corp.

This case presents the question under a commercial lease to a corporate tenant of whether the merger of the tenant into another corporation violates a nonassignment clause which expressly includes assignments by operation of law. We shall hold that the nonassignment clause was breached.

The problem arises out of the merger of Century National Bank, a national banking association (Century), into The Citizens Bank & Trust Company of Maryland, a Maryland banking association (Citizens). Century had used as its principal office certain premises located in a building at 5454 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy…