We buy plow routes often.
We pay the equivilant of 2 plowings for the route. 1st payment is due 30 days after the first plowable snowfall. 2nd payment is due 30 days after the second plowable snowfall. This is payable only on those accounts we 1) elect to retain, or 2) that stay with us.
In a market that gets little snowfall, maybe only pay for one plowable event.
Might seem cheap... but buying another's route is risky business all around. However, I will say that if you get the right route (with commercial customers), it can pay off big time.
We often keep the commercial accounts and sell off the residential accounts. Of course, we want the equivilant of 4 plowable events (in a market that gets 25 events regularly). Gotta make money on the resale !!
[Edited by John Allin on 12-01-2000 at 07:50 PM]