Many people long to be on HGTV’s popular home-remodeling shows. But there can be hidden costs associated with appearing on these shows. You can either love it or list itThis is something that some homeowners learned the hard way. What happens if you don’t “Love”The home you end up buying after the show? North Carolina homeowners Deena Murphy Tim SullivanAlthough they were successful in suing for poor workmanship, it cost them dearly at the end.
Dream Home Turns Into Nightmare
In 2015, Tim Sullivan and Deena Murphy appeared on an episode of HGTV’s You can either love it or list itThey were looking to renovate their rental property and find a home for their teens or buy a house for themselves. When it came time to make a decision on whether to stick with their newly renovated property or list it on the market and find a new home, the couple decided to go with the latter, but that’s not how things actually worked out for them.
Murphy and Sullivan discovered contractors after the film crew had left. “irreparably damaged”Their home was damaged and they were unable to sell it without spending more. The couple had already ponied up $140,000 of their own money for the renovations made by the show, but the work simply wasn’t up to par.
The floors were damaged and some windows were painted closed. Crews then used the crews to fix them. “low quality” “inferior products” according to the lawsuit the couple filed against the show’s producer and contractor in 2016. According to the lawsuit, the couple won the case and received an undisclosed amount of settlement. But, they were also sued over claims of breach of contract. Other claims included libel, product disparagement, and slander. The case reached the North Carolina Court of Appeals where it was finally dismissed.
HGTV Wants Homeowners “Happy”
Recent statements to the New York TimesHGTV insisted that the lawsuit and a few other cases were not related to this one. “want homeowners who are featured in [their] series to be happy,”The homeowners should be included in the planning process. They should also be made aware of who will participate in the renovation.
“The business relationship and contractual agreements for the renovations are agreed upon by the homeowners and the contractors,”The statement was continued. “When we learn of a business dispute, we encourage the contractors and homeowners to work together to resolve the issue.”
HGTV Lawsuits Included ‘Property Brothers’
It is not the first or last time that a popular HGTV show has been accused by shoddy renovations. The former production company is behind Property Brothers It is being sued by a Las Vegas couple for their complaints about the workmanship in their home renovation. In addition to complaints about cosmetic details, the couple claimed the electric work done on their home wasn’t up to code.
There have been other lawsuits filed by disgruntled homeowners against the network’s shows, though many more had no issues. It pays to read the fine lines and keep an eye on the contractors, even if you’re not on a reality TV show.
