Which gas station equipment do I own, and which belongs to my fuel supplier?

A gas station holds a lot of equipment, and not all of it is yours to sell. Some items you bought, some you lease, and some your fuel supplier placed at the site under the supply agreement. A buyer will want to know which is which, and so will their lender. Sorting it out before you list saves you from correcting the story halfway through a deal.

Walk the site with a notepad

Go through the site item by item. Dispensers, canopy and lighting, signage, point-of-sale terminals, coolers and shelving, the car wash if there is one, back-office equipment. For each, note the make, the age and where it came from. A simple spreadsheet works. The aim is a list a stranger could follow without calling you.

Find the proof of ownership

For items you own, look for invoices, payment records and any financing paperwork. For items you lease, find the lease and note who it is with. For items the supplier provided, read the supply agreement to see who owns them and what happens to them when the operator changes. If the paper is unclear, ask your lawyer rather than assume.

Keep the maintenance records

Service logs, repair invoices and inspection reports show a buyer how the equipment has been looked after. Gather them by item. How gas station ownership works explains the layers a buyer will ask about, and BDC’s equipment valuation guide, listed below, is useful background. Underground tanks are a separate matter: ask your lawyer and an environmental professional how to document them.

Say it plainly in the listing

Describe what is included in the sale and what is not. If some equipment belongs to the supplier, say so rather than leave it for the buyer to discover.