Inside the ‘Love It or List It’ case that rocked the HGTV network

Many dream of one day going to a home renovation show popularized by HGTV, but there may be hidden costs involved in attending favorite shows. It’s love or list, Which some homeowners find the hard way. What if you don’t “love” the house after the show? North Carolina homeowners Dinah Murphy And Tim Sullivan Fought and won for less work, but in the end it cost them.

The dream house turns into a nightmare

In 2015, Tim Sullivan and Dina Murphy appeared on an episode of HGTV It’s love or list Either want to renovate their rented property in their dream home or find a new home for themselves and the teenagers they were raising. When it came time for them to stick with their newly renovated property or get listed on the market and find a new home, the couple decided to move on to the next one, but things didn’t really work out for them.

After the film crew left, Murphy and Sullivan discovered that the contractors had “irreparably damaged” their home so they could not sell the property without pouring more money. The couple had already ponied up their own money up to $ 140,000 for the renovations made by the show, but the work was simply not equivalent.

Their floors were damaged, some of their windows were painted, and the crew used “substandard” and “substandard products”, according to a lawsuit filed in 2016 against the couple’s show’s producer and contractor. Both won the case and received an undisclosed settlement, but, in turn, protested the breach of contract. Countersuits also included defamation, defamation and product defamation claims. The lawsuit was settled out of court in North Carolina, where it was dismissed.

HGTV wants homeowners to be “happy”

In a recent statement New York Times In addition to the lawsuit against HGTV, the network insisted that they “want homeowners who are featured in it.” [their] The series to be happy, ”he added, adding that homeowners have been included in the planning process and those involved will be made aware of the reforms.

“Business relations and contractual agreements for reform are agreed upon by homeowners and contractors,” the statement continued. “When we find out about a business dispute, we encourage contractors and homeowners to work together to resolve the issue.”

The HGTV case involves ‘Property Brothers’

This is far from the first or last time that a hit HGTV show has been accused of under-performing. Former production company behind Property brother It is currently being sued by a Las Vegas couple who complained about the technicalities of their home renovation. In addition to complaining about cosmetic details, the couple claimed that the electrical work they did at home was not code-like.

Other lawsuits have been filed by disgruntled homeowners against the network’s shows, although many more had no problems. Even if you are not on a reality TV show, it pays to read the fine lines and keep an eye on the contractors.

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