HGTV Star Nicole Curtis Wins Dispute Over Rundown Detroit Home

HGTV's Rehab Addict Rescue star Nicole Curtis has won her case against the Detroit Land Bank Authority over a run-down house in the city.

Curtis, a Lake Orion native, sued Detroit Land Bank Authority to reclaim ownership of a home she had bought in 2017. Curtis argued that the land bank took the house's deed that she was paying taxes on and insuring, The Detroit News reported.

Curtis' Detroit Renovations LLC bought the home for $17,000 in 2017 from a private owner. The following year she learned that Detroit's Land Bank held the property title.

Curtis stated in the lawsuit that she had already spent at least $60,000 in renovations after purchasing it and that the land bank should reimburse her.

The photo above is a picture Curtis posted to Instagram nine weeks ago looking at the Detroit property with the caption, "Don’t be a homewrecker-in relationships or real estate."

According to The Detroit News, Wayne County Judge Timothy Kenny ruled in Curtis' favor on Thursday (May 20), stating that the land bank was awarded the property in a nuisance abatement proceeding in 2016. However, the land bank failed to record the title for more than a year after Curtis' renovation firm recorded the deed.

After appointing Curtis as the homeowner, Kenny told Curtis the renovation needed to be completed to reduce the home's public health risk.

Detroit's Land Bank Authority spokeswoman Alyssa Stickland told The Detroit News in an email, "Our goal for this property has always been to see it renovated and returned to productive use."

Stickland also said the land bank respects the court's ruling. "We will be pleased to see the house rehabilitated to the benefit of its Islandview neighbors." 

Curtis has expressed her frustrations about the ordeal on her Instagram story highlights. She also posted a photo back on January 25, 2018, with part of the caption as "...and of course, I own that house."

Photo: Getty Images