diff --git a/airtime_mvc/application/controllers/UserController.php b/airtime_mvc/application/controllers/UserController.php
index 1ee54fe39..40415b760 100644
--- a/airtime_mvc/application/controllers/UserController.php
+++ b/airtime_mvc/application/controllers/UserController.php
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ class UserController extends Zend_Controller_Action
         # TODO : remove this. we only use default for now not to break the UI.
         if (!$files_action) { # set default action
             $files_action = "reassign_to";
-            $delId = 1;
+            $new_owner    = Application_Model_User::getFirstAdmin();
         }
 
         # only delete when valid action is selected for the owned files
@@ -132,8 +132,11 @@ class UserController extends Zend_Controller_Action
         if ($files_action == "delete_cascade") {
             $user->deleteAllFiles();
         } elseif ($files_action == "reassign_to") {
-            $new_owner = $this->_getParam("new_owner");
-            $user->reassignTo( $new_owner );
+            // TODO : fix code to actually use the line below and pick a
+            // real owner instead of defaulting to the first found admin
+            //$new_owner_id = $this->_getParam("new_owner");
+            //$new_owner    = new Application_Model_User($new_owner_id);
+            $user->donateFilesTo( $new_owner );
         }
         # Finally delete the user
         $this->view->entries = $user->delete();
diff --git a/airtime_mvc/application/models/User.php b/airtime_mvc/application/models/User.php
index 1d9d94e07..326e04940 100644
--- a/airtime_mvc/application/models/User.php
+++ b/airtime_mvc/application/models/User.php
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ class Application_Model_User
         return $user->getCcFilessRelatedByDbOwnerId();
     }
 
-    public function donateFilesTo($user)
+    public function donateFilesTo($user) // $user is object not user id
     {
         $my_files = $this->getOwnedFiles();
         foreach ($my_files as $file) {
@@ -242,18 +242,27 @@ class Application_Model_User
     {
         return CcSubjsQuery::create()->filterByDbType($type)->find();
     }
-    public static function getFirstAdminId()
-    {
+
+    public static function getFirstAdmin() {
         $admins = Application_Model_User::getUsersOfType('A');
         if (count($admins) > 0) { // found admin => pick first one
-
-            return $admins[0]->getDbId();
+            return $admins[0];
         } else {
             Logging::warn("Warning. no admins found in database");
-
             return null;
         }
     }
+
+    public static function getFirstAdminId()
+    {
+        $admin = self::getFirstAdmin();
+        if ($admin) { 
+            return $admin->getDbId();
+        } else {
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
+
     public static function getUsers(array $type, $search=null)
     {
         $con     = Propel::getConnection();