The New Owner Demanded $10,000 Because of Our Cats — Then My Wife Found Something in the Smart-Home App

My wife and I sold our downtown condo last summer after living there for six years.

We had two cats, but we kept the place clean. Before closing, we even paid for professional cleaning.

Everything went smoothly.

Then, three weeks after the sale, the new owner emailed us.

He claimed the entire apartment smelled like cat urine and demanded $10,000 for cleaning and repairs.

I couldn’t believe it.

Our realtor reviewed the complaint and said we weren’t automatically responsible for problems discovered after closing.

I was ready to ignore the demand.

But my wife remembered something.

The condo had smart-home devices, including a water-leak sensor under the kitchen sink. We hadn’t finished transferring the account.

When she opened the app to disconnect it, she noticed several alerts.

The kitchen leak sensor had been triggered repeatedly since the new owners moved in.

She took a screenshot and immediately contacted our realtor.

Our realtor forwarded the information to the buyer.

The following afternoon, we received another email.

Apparently, the new owner had installed a dishwasher shortly after moving in. A poorly connected hose had been leaking into the kitchen cabinet.

A plumber confirmed the moisture was causing the unpleasant smell.

It had nothing to do with our cats.

The buyer withdrew his demand.

My wife completed the smart-home account transfer that evening.

And that was the last we heard about the $10,000.