A North Carolina couple is suing the production company behind HGTV’s “Love It or List It” along with the construction company involved in the show, claiming shoddy work, breach of contract, and unfair trade practices.
Deena Murphy and Timothy Sullivan of Raleigh, North Carolina, were selected for the home renovation reality TV show last year, and planned to renovate a rental property and move in with teenage foster children,
The Charlotte Observer reported.
In general, the show features home remodels and gives participants the opportunity to either move in to their renovated homes or choose a new home to suit their needs.
The show features home designer Hilary Farr, real estate agent David Visentin, and general contractor Eric Eremita. The lawsuit alleges that they played a TV role and “none of them played more than a casual role in the actual renovation process.”
The couple agreed to pay $140,000 for the renovation, and the lawsuit alleges that only $85,000 of that went to the remodel, while the rest went to the production of the show,
The Huffington Post reported, noting that the show is scheduled to re-air on Saturday.
The lawsuit names Big Coat TV and Aaron Fitz Construction, alleging that the “disastrous work” on the home included “irreparably damaged” floors, unpainted surfaces, and windows painted shut.
“We do intend to vigorously defend what we consider to be false allegations,” Maria Armstrong, CEO and executive producer of Big Coat Productions/Big Coat TV, said in a statement to the Observer.
Today.com commented that the lawsuit is “blowing the secrecy off of reality TV.”
The company’s attorney told Today.com that the defendants were motivated “to make decisions that favor the television show but not the homeowners."
Seven months after the show’s big reveal, the couple hasn’t listed the property or moved in because the project still needs work,
CBS News reported.
“We took out a substantial loan for this and put in some of our own money on top of the loan that we took out,” Sullivan said.
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