A couple in North Carolina have filed a lawsuit against HGTV's "Love it or List it" series for performing poor renovations on their home.
Deena Murphy and Timothy Sullivan of Raleigh have taken legal action against Big Coat TV and Aaron Fitz Construction, contending that they were responsible for a breach of contract by performing shoddy work and implementing unfair trade practices.
CEO of Big Coat TV Maria Armstrong said the Canadian-based television company was aware of the lawsuit and prepared to defend itself.
"Because this matter involves ongoing litigation, our attorneys have advised us and we feel that making a comment would be inappropriate at this time," she said.
"However, we do intend to vigorously defend what we consider to be false allegations."
The lawsuit contends that many of the people involved with the show are "actors or television personalities playing a role for the camera" and that their actual role in the process of renovating the home is limited.
The couple claimed that the floor of their home was "irreparably damaged" and question the show's practice of having the couple pay a $140,000 deposit to be used for renovations by Aaron Fitz despite the fact that the couple voiced concerns about using the contractor due to poor reviews.
"Big Coat's purported agreement admits that it is in the business of television production, not construction," the lawsuit states. "The homeowners' funds essentially pay the cost of creating a stage set for this television series."
Big Coat TV argued against the couple's claims that the company aimed to "make decisions that favor the television show but not the homeowners," in a statement to "Today."
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"We believe that this claim is in no way supported by any of the facts of the case, and we will be defending ourselves vigorously in this matter," they said.