What happens to customers’ garments when a dry cleaner is sold?

On closing day a dry cleaner is full of other people’s property. Customers left those clothes with the old owner and expect to pick them up from whoever is behind the counter. Seller and buyer should settle who answers for each kind of garment before the day arrives, and write it down. Surprises at the counter cost goodwill that a buyer needs.

Orders in process and prepaid tickets

Take a count on closing day of every garment in the shop and every ticket outstanding. Agree who finishes the cleaning in progress and who bears the cost. For tickets that customers have already paid for, decide who honours them. Credits and prepayments are similar to gift cards on a sale, so read that page, confirm the treatment with your lawyer and settle the point in the agreement.

Unclaimed garments

Most shops hold items nobody has collected in a long time. Do not simply give them away, sell them or throw them out. Ask your lawyer what the rules on abandoned goods allow, how a customer should be notified, and what the ticket terms say. Agree who keeps the list, and who contacts customers.

Open claims and alterations

Ask the seller for a written list of damage and loss claims, with their status. Agree who pays for claims that arose before closing, and who handles a complaint that surfaces later about a garment cleaned under the old owner. Alterations work in progress needs the same treatment: who finishes it, at whose price, and with whose seamstress or tailor.

Telling customers

Plan a short, clear notice in the shop. Keep the ticket format, the hours and the staff steady in the first weeks. Keep a copy of the closing inventory for both sides, and ask your lawyer to review what you have agreed.