The concept of “separation of powers” is a core part of everyone’s civics education, and yet there’s a real problem when it comes to the real estate holdings of the federal government: the General Services Administration, a part of the executive branch, manages the buildings that house the courtrooms, chambers and ancillary offices that comprise the judicial branch.

Turns out the GSA is not a great landlord, having failed to complete some $8 billion worth of repairs to roofs, elevators, lighting, doors and windows over the last decade. Ouch.

That negligence is the focus of a letter that AO Director Robert Conrad wrote to Congress on behalf of the Judicial Conference earlier this month, in which he asks Congress for statutory authority to “directly manage properties that are essential to carrying out [the branch’s] constitutional mission.”

Our view: We don’t disagree with the crux of Conrad’s letter; the Conference should have the authority to manage the courthouses and other structures that house the third branch.

But as with so much else that concerns money and the judiciary, this view comes with a caveat: without real oversight for the money the judiciary will want to spend on maintenance, construction and project management, permitting this authority would be like giving the branch a multibillion dollar blank check, which is not a great idea given their track record.

In other words, Congress should grant the judiciary this authority, but it should part of a framework that includes cost-containment measures (which many of these large judiciary contracts don’t seem to have) and tight oversight.