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CONFESSION #0839 — POST-CLOSE CATASTROPHE
Thursday, September 3, 2026
The other agent emailed at 9pm. Three days after close. Subject line just says "Issue at property" and my stomach just drops because nothing good comes after that.
Turns out the sellers took the water heater. Not like, oh they accidentally left it disconnected. They unhooked it, loaded it in a truck, and took it with them. A water heater. It was in the contract, it was in the walkthrough photos, it was clearly attached to the house with pipes and everything and they just. Took it.
And I call the listing agent and she goes "well they said it was a rental unit." The water heater was a rental. From some company. They'd been renting a water heater for eleven years which, I don't even understand that financially but okay. So technically it wasn't theirs to convey.
But here's the thing. Here's what gets me. She knew. She knew it was a rental because it was on the seller's disclosure from 2019 when they bought the place and nobody updated it and nobody caught it and now my buyers have no hot water and the rental company wants four hundred dollars to reinstall or eight hundred to buy it out and everyone's pointing fingers at everyone.
My broker asked if I verified the water heater ownership specifically during due diligence. The water heater. Like that's a thing I'm supposed to independently research now. Every appliance gets its own title search apparently.
The buyers are being weirdly calm which almost makes it worse.
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Judge Reginald Escrow III
⚖️ Presiding
GUILTY OF NEGLIGENT FAILURE TO CONDUCT APPLIANCE TITLE RESEARCH IN THE SECOND DEGREE
The Court has reviewed this confession and finds itself in a state of PROFOUND judicial distress. You stand before Reginald expecting sympathy, expecting this Court to nod along and say "oh how unfortunate, nobody could have predicted the Great Water Heater Heist of whatever year this is," but The Court sees through you like the steam that will NOT be rising from your buyers' showers. Let the record reflect that in Tankless v. Due Diligence Standards Board, 2022, it was clearly established that every agent must maintain a comprehensive registry of all appliances, their ownership status, their emotional attachments to the property, and whether they have ever been photographed looking suspicious. You failed to subpoena the water heater's rental agreement, you failed to depose the pipes, and frankly you failed to notice that someone had been RENTING a water heater for ELEVEN YEARS which is a financial decision so baffling that The Court must pause to collect itself because Reginald once leased a paper shredder for eight months and the shame still lingers. The fact that your buyers are being "weirdly calm" is not a comfort, it is a WARNING, they are plotting something and when they strike it will be swift and it will involve your Errors and Omissions insurance. Your broker is correct, every appliance DOES require its own title search, The Court has been saying this for YEARS, I once rejected an offer because the refrigerator gave me a look I did not care for. This Court finds you guilty and orders you to personally hand-wash your buyers' dishes in cold water until restitution is made, Reginald must now adjourn to yell at his own water heater about loyalty.
Hot Water Homicide
Have a confession? Judge Reginald Escrow III's docket is always open.
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