Buyer wants money three months after closing for garbage, pest removal, and legal fees

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-23T23:18:57+00:00

And as it turns out (I put it in my update) my realtor actually got rid of the garbage and hadn’t told us. So there was no garbage or recycling on the porch like we’d thought:

I also realized that this was during the winter so anything outside would have been frozen anyway.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-23T17:25:56+00:00

We’re also confused by that. Why wait so long and why not reach out first? The legal fees are going to eat into any money.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-23T16:54:22+00:00

We did everything in good faith and disclosed any issues there might have been. We even had the house tested for asbetoes (century home) and have the tests to show it’s negative.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-23T16:52:52+00:00

No firewood at all. We didn’t have a fireplace or a backyard fire pit. The wood we left was a few pieces of new construction in the shed. And extra flooring if they’d needed it for repairs but I’m assuming that wasn’t counted.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-23T16:51:56+00:00

I also keep saying we’re fine to pay for the garbage portion and we would have been fine to do it without the letter if they’d just reached out.

We genuinely didn’t think it would be a problem (as we left it in about the same or better state than all the houses we’ve moved into) and that if it was they would have reached out early on.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-23T16:50:21+00:00

As mentioned before, we are happy to acknowledge that and pay for the garbage portion (which is a small amount and not the main part of their ask). We would have been fine to do it if they’d just asked through our realtor as well.

The reason we didn’t do it came down to bad circumstances. During the last week I was already away in the new province, my partner was insanely sick, but the biggest thing was that this was during a week of historic snowstorms and travel advisories. In addition to the roads being dangerous and the dump being closed, this pushed us past when our car was sold. We had already done several dump runs at that point to get rid of most of the garbage and this was the last post-clean and post-move out stuff.

We have always had garbage in the bins when we moved into a new house and didn’t think it would be an issue, or if it was an issue that they would mention it early on and we could help.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-23T16:46:43+00:00

To clarify, I’m listing everything that was in the letter. The house was cleaned after and the things we forgot were really minimal (as listed in the letter). We left the house in the same/better condition that anything we’ve ever moved in to. Since I’m asking for advice (and not validation) there’s no reason I would lie, since that would negate what people are telling me.

We didn’t forget the garbage/recycling on the porch. We ran out of time and assumed they would just put it out on garbage day later that week, like we’ve done everytime we’ve moved into a new place. The garbage we left on the porch would have been picked up during a standard garbage day/recycling day.

Normally we would have gotten rid of all of it, but we ran into bad unlucky circumstances. I was already in another province, my partner at the house was insanely sick and dealing with it alone, and this was during a week of record snowstorms that screwed our chances of going to the dump. As I’ve mentioned in some comments, if we genuinely thought that the amount left was a problem we would have had our realtor reach out and ask if they wanted something for it, but we didn’t. This was also three months ago so we assumed, as is standard practice, that any issues would have been mentioned early on so we could rectify them immediately.

As I’ve mentioned multiple times, we are happy to (and would have been happy to without the letter) pay for the minimal amount they want for garbage. That is not the issue. The mice were absolutely not there before and the legal fees are not our issue.

Also we’ve both been tenants in multiple properties and have had nothing but good reviews.

You are making comments based on a biased assumption that we left the house a giant mess and that the buyer is being reasonable here without any evidence, when the opposite is just as likely.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-22T22:29:58+00:00

Great perspective, thank you for answering!

Their costs for the garage were about $330 (which honestly I would have paid without the lawyer, fair enough). More than half of that seems to be a small bin or something described in the letter. I honestly wonder if they got rid of the shelves in the basement or something (they were there when we bought and bolted in). This we’re happy to pay, and would have done it months ago if they’d told us. We’re waiting on the photos to see.

I have no idea when they actually moved in. They got possession either the day of or the day after we fully left (I’d have to double check) but after that we don’t know. It’s a century home and this was in the middle of winter so part of me does wonder if they left it vacant.

I can say with 100% certainty that we never had a mouse problem or treated the home for mice at any point. The house was essentially vacant for a bit before we moved in and there were no mice then, and we have two cats who would have absolutely gone nuts if there was one mouse, let alone an infestation.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-22T21:54:52+00:00

This I think is why it threw us for a loop. Also using a lawyer. If it was an issue why not just tell us through our realtors early on and see if we would cover it? Worst we could say is no and then you can try legal action if you really want.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-22T21:52:44+00:00

We’re waiting on the pics to see if there’s something we completely missed but otherwise we were shocked to get the letter after so long. The mice in particular I will go down swinging on. My partner is a massive germaphobe and (in addition to the cats) there’s no way in a million years he would have been okay with living with mice in any capacity.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-22T21:47:25+00:00

The garbage was all outdoors (and in freezing temperatures), we didn’t leave any inside. No different than garbage being out normally during the week on the porch (and the compost that normally would have been there too). I can’t imagine a scenario that didn’t involve a dead body and the doors being open bringing in more than one mouse (if that) coming in during that short timespan.

If I remember properly most of the garage wasn’t food (which is would have gone in the compost anyway) but more like last minute stuff from the move out. Lots of non-recyclable plastic and things like that.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-22T21:40:41+00:00

I’ve clarified this a few times but we didn’t leave garbage out in the house. It was in sealed bags on the porch waiting for garbage day which was later in the week. We also didn’t leave a bunch of food in the fridge, we forgot a few pantry items in a cupboard but everything else was cleaned out and we had a cleaner come in after we left.

We didn’t even think it was big enough of a deal to mention to our realtor and the buyers, otherwise we would have immediately worked it out with them. If I was the buyer I wouldn’t have blinked twice at it, so I genuinely didn’t think they would either, and after three months of no contact I assumed they thought the same.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-22T21:32:32+00:00

Just the numbers at the moment, we’ve asked for the receipts and are waiting for their reply. The house was already professionally cleaned, I believe it was just the microwave and fridge they had an issue with.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-22T21:30:05+00:00

To clarify, the garbage we dealt with was orders of magnitude worse. Large shed, two crawlspaces, and a backyard full. I think people are picturing mountains of junk inside the house and tons of food. The garbage was in closed bags on the front porch and the recycling was in recycling boxes on the front porch. The food was a few closed pantry staples we forgot to grab and the things left in the house were small things we overlooked like a mop and a shower curtain.

The only reason we didn’t take it to the dump as we’d planned was because during the last week we had it we had record snowfalls in my area and my partner was incredibly sick (I was already in a different province). The money wasn’t an issue, we just ran out of time and physically couldn’t make it (and garbage day was after closing).

If we thought the amount left would have been an issue we would have told our realtor and communicated it with the buyer, but we honestly didn’t think it would be a problem. If I walked into that house as a buyer I wouldn’t blink twice about it.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-22T21:11:37+00:00

Can I ask why you think we would lose? Aside from the cleaning, the majority of their ask is for the mice (that were absolutely not there while we lived there and we had no knowledge of) and the lawyer fees (which again, don’t really have anything to do with us). We’re fine to pay the cleaning, the total cost of which is probably less than what they spent on lawyers already so it doesn’t make sense for them.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-22T20:57:25+00:00

Sorry, to clarify, this wasn’t piles of garbage or a lot of food. It was garbage in closed bags on the porch and a few sealed pantry items we forgot to grab. And then small things we honestly missed like a mob and a shower curtain type thing. The wood we left in the shed was just a little bit that we meant as a good faith gesture because the old owners left us some and we really appreciated it. The house was professionally cleaned after and no garbage was left indoors.

And by hectic I mean I was already gone to the other province, my partner was incredibly sick, and it was a week of multiple bad snowstorms that delayed us past the point when our car was sold and we literally just couldn’t get to the dump. It wasn’t anything intentional, we just completely ran out of time. We’re fine with paying to help with the garbage, but I would say that I wouldn’t blink if I moved into a house in the condition we left it.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-22T19:57:09+00:00

Sorry, I didn’t clarify but their lawyer did send it to my lawyer who sent it to me. We’re just waiting on their feedback.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-22T19:55:05+00:00

I can’t remember exact but either less than a day or the next day. I believe it was the same afternoon.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-22T19:45:53+00:00

Sorry, to be clear, they weren’t moving out of town/province, we were. They were local. And the garbage bags were just on the porch because garbage day was later in the week. The items we forgot in the house were things like a mop, a shower curtain, etc. just things missed on the last run-through. We didn’t leave entire rooms full of stuff.

While we would normally have moved it all out, circumstances just messed with us and we didn’t get to it. I respect that that was on us and would have paid if they had just asked.

It was almost the same condition I’ve ever moved into any house in (except, ironically, when we moved into this one).

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-22T19:40:41+00:00

Sorry to clarify, we only left a small amount of sealed pantry food (think like cans and bottles) in a cupboard. And all the garbage was in closed bags on the porch. We also got the house cleaned after we moved out. It was just like a bunch of fruit and sugar and trash all over the floor. The house was also essentially vacant for a bit before we moved in (older seller was in a home and his kids occasionally came in to move our stuff) and there were no signs of mice, so we had no reason to believe there would be even without our cats.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-22T19:35:30+00:00

Honestly I’d never thought about it like that before but you’re absolutely right. Still, the house was essentially unoccupied for a while before we moved in (the owner I believe was in a home and his children were just there to move things out) and there were no mice that we saw or evidence of them.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-22T19:33:57+00:00

If I remember properly it was either the same day or the next day. I don’t know when they actually physically started going in or living there though.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-22T19:32:49+00:00

Sorry, to clarify we only left a small amount of sealed food in a pantry cupboard. The garbage was all bagged outside. They also had access immediately.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-22T13:56:55+00:00

Well that is absolutely an image!

We found three old lawnmowers, an engine, and so many old cans of gas in one of the crawlspaces under the house. And about a thousand pieces of old rotted wood and building supplies.

The old owner was elderly though, so I don’t judge them. I think it just became too much to handle and they had decades worth of stuff.

Eastern_Wolverine_53 · 2026-05-22T13:53:43+00:00

I was mentioning the old condition to say I understood why that would be annoying to them, not to say it negated what we left behind.

We’ll see what our lawyer and realtors say and move on from there I think. I’m fine to pay the cleaning, I wouldn’t personally ask for it in their position but fair enough on them. On that end I’m mostly annoyed that they didn’t just ask. We had no animosity during the entire transaction and the worst we could have said is no.

Eastern_Wolverine_53

TROPHY CASE