(a) Lands which may be assigned. While by the Act of March 3, 1891 (26 Stat. 1096; 43 U.S.C. 329), assignments of desert-land entries were recognized, the Department of the Interior, largely for administrative reasons, held that a desert-land entry might be assigned as a whole or in its entirety, but refused to recognize the assignment of only a portion of an entry. The Act of March 28, 1908, however, provides for an assignment of such entries, in whole or in part, but this does not mean that less than a legal subdivision may be assigned. Therefore no assignment, otherwise than by legal subdivisions, will be recognized. The legal subdivisions assigned must be contiguous.

(b) Qualifications of assignees. (1) The Act of March 28, 1908, also provides that no person may take a desert-land entry by assignment unless he is qualified to enter the tract so assigned to him. Therefore, if a person is not at least 21 years of age and, excepting Nevada, a resident citizen of the State wherein the land involved is located; or if he is not a ciitzen of the United States, or a person who has declared his intention to become a citizen thereof; or, if he has made a desert-land entry in his own right and is not entitled under § 2521.1 to make a second or an additional entry, he cannot take such an entry by assignment. The language of the act indicates that the taking of an entry by assignment is equivalent to the making of an entry, and this being so, no person is allowed to take more than one entry by assignment, unless it be done as the exercise of a right of second or additional entry.

(2) A person who has the right to make a second or additional desert-land entry may exercise that right by taking an assignment of a desert-land entry, or part of such entry, if he is otherwise qualified to make a desert-land entry for the particular tract assigned.

(3) The Act of March 28, 1908, also provides that no assignment to or for the benefit of any corporation shall be authorized or recognized.

(c) Showing required of assignees; recognition of assignments. (1) As evidence of the assignment there should be transmitted to the authorizing officer the original deed of assignment or a certified copy thereof. Where the deed of assignment is recorded a certified copy may be made by the officer who has custody of the record. Where the original deed is presented to an officer qualified to take proof in desert-land cases, a copy certified by such officer will be accepted.

(2) An assignee must file with his deed of assignment, a statement on a form approved by the Director, showing his qualifications to take the entry assigned to him. He must show what applications or entries, if any, have been made by him or what entries assigned to him under the agricultural public land laws, and he must also show his qualifications as a citizen of the United States; that he is 21 years of age or over; and also that he is a resident citizen of the State in which the land assigned to him is situated, except in the State of Nevada, where citizenship of the United States only is required. If the assignee is not a native-born citizen of the United States, he should also furnish a statement as to his citizenship status in accordance with subpart 1811 of this chapter. If the assignee is a woman, she should in all cases state whether she is married, and if so, she must make the showing required by subpart 1811 of this chapter. Desert-land entries are initiated by the payment of 25 cents per acre, and no assignable right is acquired by the application prior to such payment. (6 L.D. 541, 33 L.D. 152.) An assignment made on the day of such payment, or soon thereafter, is treated as suggesting fraud, and such cases will be carefully scrutinized. The provisions of law authorizing the assignment of desert entries, in whole or in part, furnish no authority to a claimant under said law to make an executory contract to convey the land after the issuance of patent and thereafter to proceed with the submission of final proof in furtherance of such contract. (34 L.D. 383.) The sale of land embraced in an entry at any time before final payment is made must be regarded as an assignment of the entry, and in such cases the person buying the land must show that he possesses all the qualifications required of an assignee. (29 L.D. 453.) The assignor of a desert-land entry may execute the assignment before any officer authorized to take acknowledgements of deeds. The assignee must furnish a statement on a form approved by the Director as to his qualifications.

(3) No assignments of desert-land entries or parts of entries are conclusive until examined in the proper office and found satisfactory and the assignment recognized. When recognized, however, the assignee takes the place of the assignor as effectively as though he had made the entry, and is subject to any requirement that may be made relative thereto. The assignment of a desert-land entry to one disqualified to acquire title under the desert-land law, and to whom, therefore, recognition of the assignment is refused by the authorizing officer, does not of itself render the entry fraudulent, but leaves the right thereto in the assignor. In such connection, however, see 42 L.D. 90 and 48 L.D. 519.

(4) All applications for recognition of assignment of desert-land entries must be accompanied by an application service fee of $10 which will not be returnable.