Deena Murphy And Timothy Sullivan Sue HGTV’s ‘Love It Or List It’ Over ‘Shoddy’ Renovations

A couple in Raliegh, N.C., called on HGTV’s Love it or List it to renovate their rented home because they did not want to do it themselves. They are now suing the production company, Big Coat Productions, based in Toronto, Canada.

‘Love It Or List It’ Sued

The couple, Deena Murphy and Timothy Sullivan, complained about shoddy work, including damaged and stained floorboards, poor carpeting over chipped concrete, open holes and unpainted surfaces. The pair claims it invested $140,000 in the project, most of which was from a loan, but also partially out of pocket. They say that about $85,000 went to the contractors, but the rest of it went to the production company.

Murphy and Sullivan’s attorney, Jim White, offered his take. “For the homeowners here, this is a renovation project, and for Big Coat, it’s a TV show,” he said. “What we allege is that Big Coat hired contractors who did substandard work.” They also claim that the show told them what to say and how to act on camera.

The production company responded, noting it has completed “more than 250 renovations without any issues” and that the “claim is in no way supported by any of the facts in the case,” they said in a statement to CBS This Morning.

“We feel stressed out, we feel sad, really disappointed,” Murphy said.

“We were excited for the home,” Sullivan added.