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HGTV's Nicole Curtis files lawsuit after Detroit Land Bank puts house she rehabbed up for sale

By and Amber Ainsworth
Published  March 25, 2021 8:05pm EDT
Detroit
FOX 2 Detroit

Nicole Curtis, Detroit involved in legal battle over home she rehabbed

The Detroit Land Bank Authority claims HGTV's Rehab Addict Rescue star Nicole Curtis bought and rehabbed a home it owns.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - HGTV's "Rehab Addict Rescue" star Nicole Curtis rehabbed a Detroit home that the Land Bank is now selling because it holds the title to the house.

Curtis and her company, Detroit Renovations LLC, spent $17,000 to buy the house in 2017 from someone claiming to be its owner and has spent $60,000 repairing the home. 

Now, the Land Bank has the house for sale for $40,000, saying that Curtis purchased the house from someone who was not the owner.

Mayor Mike Duggan said Curtis was scammed.

Read More: Mayor Duggan says HGTV's Nicole Curtis was 'scammed' in house deal

"We did not buy a Detroit Land Bank property," Curtis said. "This house, the deed was registered to a private owner. So we did buy it from a private owner."

Nicole Curtis rehabbed this Detroit house.

The Land Bank does not comment on pending litigation, but did release a statement: "Ms. Curtis has never been the legal owner of 451 E. Grand Boulevard and the DLBA has already won two separate legal actions regarding this property."

Curtis said she was able to get the house’s deed from the county when she bought it.

"The DLB failed to register the deed, so when I bought the house I was able to get the deed with Wayne County," she said. "Two choices -- pay me back money we paid or let’s find a way to have the house back."

The house is now up for sale by the Detroit Land Bank.

Curtis said the lawsuit was a last resort because she would rather spend time and money improving neighborhoods.

"We cleared the city of any debts they had on this property. We paid back taxes, we paid the nuisance abatement, so essentially everything that the Detroit Land Bank goes after a property owner to take care of, we did that for the city," she said. "The city has no skin in this game."

The city also released a statement about the issue, saying, "Clearly, Ms. Curtis believes she owns the property and the Land Bank believes it owns the property.  On Monday a judge will determine which is the legal owner and resolve this matter."