diff --git a/server/AyaNova/biz/WorkOrderBiz.cs b/server/AyaNova/biz/WorkOrderBiz.cs
index c0e187bc..37f64039 100644
--- a/server/AyaNova/biz/WorkOrderBiz.cs
+++ b/server/AyaNova/biz/WorkOrderBiz.cs
@@ -346,12 +346,12 @@ namespace AyaNova.Biz
 
         private async Task AutoSetAddressAsync(WorkOrder newObj)
         {
-            if (newObj.CustomerId == 0)            
-                return;           
+            if (newObj.CustomerId == 0)
+                return;
 
             var cust = await ct.Customer.AsNoTracking().Where(z => z.Id == newObj.CustomerId).FirstOrDefaultAsync();
-            if (cust == null)            
-                return;            
+            if (cust == null)
+                return;
 
             newObj.PostAddress = cust.PostAddress;
             newObj.PostCity = cust.PostCity;
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ namespace AyaNova.Biz
                 newObj.PostCountry = head.PostCountry;
                 newObj.PostCode = head.PostCode;
 
-            }          
+            }
         }
 
         private async Task AutoSetContractAsync(WorkOrder newObj)
@@ -387,23 +387,26 @@ namespace AyaNova.Biz
             mFetchedContractAlready = false;
 
             //CONTRACT AUTO SET
+            //failsafe
+             newObj.ContractId = null;
+
             if (newObj.CustomerId != 0)
             {
-                //unit->customer->headoffice
-                var cust = await ct.Customer.AsNoTracking().Where(z => z.Id == newObj.CustomerId).Select(z => new { headofficeId = z.HeadOfficeId, contractId = z.ContractId }).FirstOrDefaultAsync();
+                //precedence: unit->customer->headoffice
+                var cust = await ct.Customer.AsNoTracking().Where(z => z.Id == newObj.CustomerId).Select(z => new { headofficeId = z.HeadOfficeId, contractId = z.ContractId, contractExpires = z.ContractExpires }).FirstOrDefaultAsync();
+                
+                //first set it to the customer one if available in case the ho one has expired then set the ho if applicable
+                if (cust.contractId != null && cust.contractExpires < DateTime.UtcNow)
+                    newObj.ContractId = cust.contractId;
+               
                 if (cust.contractId == null && cust.headofficeId != null)
                 {
-                    var hoContractId = await ct.HeadOffice.AsNoTracking().Where(z => z.Id == cust.headofficeId).Select(z => z.ContractId).FirstOrDefaultAsync();
-                    if (hoContractId != null)
-                        newObj.ContractId = hoContractId;
-                }
-                else
-                    newObj.ContractId = cust.contractId;//if ultimately no contract for this customer or ho then it's set to null anyway which is what we want
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                newObj.ContractId = null;//no customer then contract
+                    var head = await ct.HeadOffice.AsNoTracking().Where(z => z.Id == cust.headofficeId).Select(z => new { contractId = z.ContractId, contractExpires = z.ContractExpires }).FirstOrDefaultAsync();
+                    if (head.contractId != null && head.contractExpires < DateTime.UtcNow)
+                        newObj.ContractId = head.contractId;
+                }               
             }
+           
 
             //RESPONSE TIME / COMPLETE BY AUTO SET
             //precedence: manually pre-set -> contract -> global biz