In the context of a game engine, I mean. You may be sharing a model or texture between multiple entities, and want to know when it’s no longer in use.

Even there, something higher up the stack probably knows too, and is in a better position to choose a good time to dispose of it.

Possibly! It really depends on how you've architected things. I said it's "reasonable" not that it's the one true way of implementing it.

I think we really are all in agreement here.