diff --git a/app/Http/Requests/StoreAssetRequest.php b/app/Http/Requests/StoreAssetRequest.php
index cea882477..00c5d27be 100644
--- a/app/Http/Requests/StoreAssetRequest.php
+++ b/app/Http/Requests/StoreAssetRequest.php
@@ -20,15 +20,6 @@ class StoreAssetRequest extends ImageUploadRequest
 
     public function prepareForValidation(): void
     {
-        // this needed to be added in because the observer fails if `assigned_to` is null :shrug:
-        if ($this->has('assigned_user')) {
-            $assigned_to = $this->assigned_user;
-        } elseif ($this->has('assigned_location')) {
-            $assigned_to = $this->assigned_location;
-        } elseif ($this->has('assigned_asset')) {
-            $assigned_to = $this->assigned_asset;
-        }
-
         $this->merge([
             'asset_tag' => $this->asset_tag ?? Asset::autoincrement_asset(),
             'company_id' => Company::getIdForCurrentUser($this->company_id),