Who should clean out the office fridge?
Both at fault
The short answer
Everyone who uses it, in turns. When nobody owns the job, the court finds everyone at fault for what grows in there.
The ruling
From the public record. Names are replaced with roles.
Small claims division
Case no.PC-2026-00626
The coworker v. The team
Filed 10/06/2026
- Plaintiff
- The coworker
- Defendant
- The team
Statement of claim
There is a yogurt in the office fridge with a date from April. Nobody will throw it out because nobody knows whose it is. I refuse to be the one.
Charge
Collective failure to remove a yogurt dated April from the shared fridge
Judgment
Both at fault
Team found at fault for a yogurt that has been in the fridge since April
Sentence
The plaintiff throws out the yogurt today. Starting Friday, the fridge is cleared every week at 4 p.m. by a rotating name on a sign.
How the court usually rules on this
Office fridge disputes almost always end in shared fault, because the problem is the absence of a rule rather than one person's conduct. The court's standard sentence is a Friday clear-out with a sign, which removes the argument permanently.
Related rulings
Trending rulings
What people are judging right now.
- Who should pay on a first date?Guilty · Money
- Who controls the thermostat when couples disagree?Both at fault · Couples
- Who should buy toilet paper in a shared apartment?Guilty · Roommates
- Who should get up to turn off the light in bed?Both at fault · Couples