Some very real factors that go into decisions to defer maintenance/quality work:
1) we'll have more money later, so we will better be able to afford it
2) we are hoping to sell the company before this needs to be done, and think that it will cost us more money to do, than not having done it will knock off the valuation
3) if I put my political capital on the table for this now, I won't have it to use later, whereas if I wait till it can't be denied, it won't cost me that