Part of the reason when consulting with new business ventures I ALWAYS suggested that that owners NEVER have their name within the DBA company/coporate name/logo.
Make the association much easier to distance after a sale.
And NEVER EVER EVER EVER personally finance the sale of a business to new owner... EVER!!!! It's a recipe for heartache. Seen too many that see a fraction of the financed amount actually paid. Most go default and lose everything.
What you describe is "bad dealing making" IMO, its possible if the deal is properly structured, a default by the buyer can be advantageous to the seller. I speak from experience.
So if you can't cut a self protective deal, follow the "never,ever......." advice.
Nothing in business is without risk.
It really depends on the business...if internet based it is a lot easier to take it back and get it running again. A brick and mortar business, that produces product, has quality standards, and a reputation, is near impossible to rebuild after a sale and failure, you can remake, or reinvent it, but it will never go back to what you had. It also takes $$$$$, the reason you sold it in the first place. Then you get to deal with the customers bitching because of what happened, you can have the same guy making the same product and the customer will say, it is not the same, you changed something.
