'They Want Us To Be Financially Responsible For Their Fish' — Seller Tried To Add Last-Minute Clause Making Buyer Pay $1,000 Per Dead Koi

Anyone who's bought a home knows there's always a last-minute surprise. A leaky pipe, a missing appliance, maybe a ceiling stain that wasn't there during the walk-through. But pond fish?

That's what one homebuyer claimed happened in the real estate subreddit after the sellers refused to move their koi before closing. The reason? The fish were "hibernating" for the winter, and the sellers planned to retrieve them "when the weather warms up."

The buyer, an experienced real estate agent representing themselves, had already included language in the purchase agreement stating they weren't responsible for the fish. But just three days before closing, the sellers sent over a new addendum that went much further.

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If any koi were found "ill, dead, or missing," the buyers would owe a minimum of $1,000 per fish—with no cap on total damages. The clause also required the buyers to keep the pond pump running, avoid adding any chemicals, and somehow prevent animals from disturbing the fish in the meantime.

The post, titled "Sellers want us to be financially responsible for their coy fish after closing," quickly caught attention—not just for the story, but for the spelling error. "I could not edit ‘Coy' in the title, bless your hearts. Lol," the buyer wrote in an update.

Hundreds of Redditors weighed in. One user wrote,

"Just say no. You are in contract and the sellers can't do anything about it. You're completely in charge if you can close on time."

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Another offered a more structured fix:

"Decline the amendment, and submit a new one allowing them to have their specialist come. And the date the fish need to be gone by—assuming you don't want this trailing through the summer."

Others weren't as calm.

"They'll hire a cheap specialist from Craigslist and sue you when he doesn't show up and says you didn't let him on the property."

"F all this noise… they cray-cray."

There were also questions about whether a clause like this was even enforceable. Several agents in the thread agreed that contracts can technically include just about anything if both parties sign. But enforceability depends on clarity, fairness, and state laws. Terms like "no cap on damages" without any specific valuation often get thrown out or modified in court. One broker pointed out that the clause would've given the sellers post-closing access to the property, without any of the legal responsibilities a tenant would have.

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Instead of signing the addendum, the buyers drafted their own Fish Occupancy/Hold Harmless Agreement. By leaving the fish behind after closing, the sellers would be accepting full responsibility.

It worked. The next morning, the sellers arranged for a specialist to collect the koi before possession day. "Ugh, was that so damn hard?!" the buyer wrote. "We will not be getting into the hobby. No. Way. In. Hell."

When it comes to real estate contracts, no detail is too small—or too strange—to review. Buyers have reported being hit with surprise clauses about lawn maintenance, mail key handoffs, and even who keeps the leftover paint cans. Whether it's koi, cats, or kitchen light bulbs, the time to catch it is before the ink dries.

In this case, the buyers weren't stuck with a pond full of someone else's prize fish. But thanks to one Reddit post, a lot more buyers might start checking the fine print on backyard features—especially if they involve live animals.

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