[travelstiles]

Didn't it occur to the new car wash owner (or his attorney) that there were profits on the books from these prepaid cards? How did he think this would be amortized (or did he care)? What kind of attorney did he have that didn't get a good accountant involved in looking closely at the books, as obviously the profit from these cards was a one-time source of revenue (which apparently made the business look more profitable to the buyer), but the obligation, if not legally enforceable, is still valid in the eyes of the consumers.
And is it really true that the purchaser takes on the assets but not the liabilities? That doesn't seem consumer-friendly.
Ultimately I would tell the new owner caveat emptor - he'll have to deal with it. And get a better attorney. The 'letter of the law" is not always the right thing to do. Again, back to the values discussion...