An interesting question I’ve not discussed in the press is what would happen during an extended government shutdown when it comes to rent payments and utility bills.
An interesting question I’ve not discussed in the press is what would happen during an extended government shutdown when it comes to rent payments and utility bills. Could a government agency be evicted from its building by the landlord? The federal government rents a lot of buildings from private landlords. Figuring rental contracts and evictions are regulated under state law it gets even more complicated. I would imagine that under the US Constitution such a case would end up in federal court. Likewise, I could see a utility shutting off power to a government building if utility payments aren’t made.
I’m guessing what would happen first is a bunch of aggrieved landlords and other parties would go to a federal district court and make the argument that the federal government is obligated to pay due Article XIV of the constitution and the court would appoint a special master to review bills that the government is obligated to pay and then pay them regardless of the action of congress and the president. I could also see essential furloughed employees approaching a federal court and making the argument that they are subject to involuntary servitude, especially if they are subject to criminal sanctions for walking off the job during the furlough.