Remove retired cleanup manifest state

docs/operations.md

@@ -610,6 +610,14 @@ also available when the manifest has valid publish evidence. A range ending at
 `notify` or earlier and the standalone `publish` command never delete local
 state.
 
+Older local manifests that contain the retired cleanup-obligation field are
+intentionally incompatible with strict manifest decoding. If such an
+obligation is still outstanding, complete it with the pre-upgrade binary.
+Otherwise verify that the remote publication is committed, move aside or
+regenerate the incompatible local manifest (or restore the verified remote
+snapshot), and then use the cleanup stage. Manual JSON editing is not the
+normal migration path.
+
 ## Operational Caveats
 
 - Local and S3 audio modes are mutually exclusive.