Car Wash Owner Demands $20 Million From Former Employee, Cites “Citrus‑Scented Trauma”

ALBUQUERQUE, NM — A local car wash owner stunned potential buyers this week after demanding an eye‑watering $20 million for his business — a price he openly admitted was “specifically adjusted” to punish one particular former employee.

Bogdan Wolynetz, longtime owner of A1A Car Wash, told reporters that the inflated price was “not about market value,” but rather “emotional reparations” for an incident that occurred nearly a decade ago.

According to Bogdan, the former employee — identified only as “W.W.” — once quit mid‑shift, stormed out of the building, and knocked over an entire rack of air fresheners, sending dozens of “New Car Scent” pine trees cascading across the floor like “a citrus‑infused avalanche.”

“I still hear them,” Bogdan said, staring into the distance. “The little cardboard trees… fluttering. Mocking me.”

Witnesses at the time reported that W.W. left the premises without clocking out, without returning his apron, and without apologizing for the “air freshener catastrophe.” Bogdan claims the event caused “long‑term emotional damage,” including recurring nightmares involving “endless rows of tiny green trees whispering insults in Romanian.”

When asked why the business was listed at $10 million for other buyers but $20 million for W.W., Bogdan was blunt:

“For him? Double. Minimum. Maybe triple. Depends how my eyebrows feel that day.”

Local economists called the price “completely deranged,” but admitted the emotional‑damages surcharge was “technically innovative,” and predicted it may inspire future business owners to adjust prices based on personal grudges.

City officials confirmed that the car wash is still on the market, though Bogdan has reportedly added a new clause stating that W.W. must also pay for “all missing aprons, all emotional suffering, and all citrus‑related nightmares.”