The city of Detroit has sued former HGTV star Nicole Curtis and her company, Detroit Renovations LLC, for allowing a blighted property to remain as dangerous public nuisance for years.
The issue dates back five years when a court ruled the property, a 2641-square-foot single-family home built in 1908, was “a nuisance and a danger to the health, safety and welfare of the community” and ordered Curtis’ company to renovate the property. Detroit Renovations obtained title to 451 E. Grand Blvd. in May 2021 after litigation with the Detroit Land Bank Authority.
The Detroit News reports the city is seeking a declaratory judgment that the property is a public nuisance, along with an order that would force Curtis and her company to abate all violations at their sole expense.
The lawsuit is also seeking payment of all outstanding fines and fees and authorization for the court to appoint a receiver, paid by the defendants, who would coordinate the abatement if Curtis and her company fail to act.
Furthermore, the city is proposing an alternative approach where it would receive a first-priority judgment lien on the property or would have ownership transferred directly to the city. This approach would enable the city to have jurisdiction over the property until its orders are fully carried out. The city also warned that it would seek Curtis’ “entire inventory of properties in the City of Detroit that are not in compliance with the Detroit City Code and Michigan law.”
To date, the Curtis-owned property generated 25 blight violation tickets when deadlines passed without compliance. The city claims that Curtis and Detroit Renovations engaged in a “pattern and practice” on noncompliance by failing to obtain the proper permits and certifications, not paying required fees, and not making necessary repairs to the building and surrounding property.
Curtis, who did not publicly comment on the lawsuit, gained prominence as the host of the HGTV series “Rehab Addict.” The network fired her last February after she blurted out a racial slur during a video shoot; she issued a same-day apology, but the network removed her series from its platforms.
Cover photo courtesy of Zillow; Nicole Curtis photo courtesy of her Instagram account
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