Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan Says HGTV’s Nicole Curtis Was ‘Scammed’ Into Buying Home

HGTV’s Rehab Addict Rescue star Nicole Curtis has filed a lawsuit against Detroit, Michigan’s Land Bank over who rightfully owned a run-down home. She said that she legally bought the house in 2017.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan spoke out about the incident to WDIV-TV/ClickOnDetroit. Duggan said that he “feels bad” for Curtis as he believed that she was “scammed” into the purchase because  the person who sold it to her didn’t legally own the property.

“It appears she paid somebody who didn’t own the house and paid them to buy it. But the Land Bank cannot legally give her the property,” Duggan continued. “She can have 100 critical stories, the Land Bank is not going to break the law. They can’t turn the property over without getting values.”

Curtis claimed that she purchased the land from the widow of the late homeowner for $17,000 via a “Quick Claim deed.”

The City of Detroit Land Bank (DLBA) stated that they own the home and have attempted to sell it.

Curtis responded to Duggan’s statement in a Tuesday Instagram post slamming the mayor for refusing to meet with her and for speaking to the press. On Wednesday, she shared an update on her Instagram Story stating that the mayor has agreed to meet with her about the issue on Thursday.

According to Curtis’ lawsuit, she claimed that her company spent “approximately $60,000 including a significant amount of time and labor costs on the property.” The costs included the property’s purchase price, renovations, insurance, taxes, maintenance and safeguarding the land.

The suit also highlighted that Curtis’ belief owning the house was “a mistake,” she also felt like she was “put off” from the DLBA as there were “extended periods on non-response.”