When the crews from home-makeover TV shows drive away, they sometimes leave behind more than a hammer and a saw.
The shows, which create drama by putting a deadline on the building projects, can produce unwanted or shoddy work, some participants say, and problems for families unable to pay the tax bills on their now higher-valued homes.
Take Gary and Sharon Rosier. The family from southwest suburban Lemont, who were filmed for an episode of Fox’s “Renovate My Family,” filed a lawsuit in July against the network, the Hollywood production company, an Illinois developer and DuPage County, charging shoddy work created safety hazards in their home.
The Rosiers were selected for the reality show because their home needed to be made accessible for their son, Steven, 18, who lost the use of his limbs in a snowboarding accident two years ago. When the seven-day project was done, the Rosiers say, they found wobbly railings, dangerous and incomplete electrical work and inadequately designed rooms.
And, there were the taxes.
The IRS said the Rosiers owe $210,000 because their newly built home, which their lawsuit valued at $350,000, is considered income.
Their annual property tax bill jumped to $4,900 from $2,800, according to the DuPage County assessor’s office.
“It’s a horror story,” Gary Rosier said, adding that the family was told by the show’s producers it would not have to pay taxes.
After the family received the 1099 tax bill, Rocket Science Laboratories, which produces “Renovate My Family,” said it would pay the whole tax bill for this year.
Other unsatisfied “customers” of TV home-makeover shows say producers seem more concerned about seeing a reaction or showing the outrageous than about creating a home that fits its owners.
In California, five orphaned children have sued ABC and the producers of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”
The children said in the suit, filed this month in Los Angeles, that after both parents died within weeks in 2004, they were taken in by Firipeli and Lokilani Leomiti of Santa Fe Springs, Calif. The Leomitis then used the children to increase their chances of being selected for the program, according to the suit and the children’s attorney, Patrick Mesisca, who was interviewed by the Tribune.
In February, the Leomitis’ 1,300-square-foot home was torn down, according to Mesisca, and a nine-bedroom replacement was built. The project was then featured on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”
The story was initially reported by the Los Angeles Times. Mesisca confirmed that the suit also alleges the Leomitis, who also are named in the suit, appropriated the children’s cars and other prizes.
In Texas, Diane and Bryan Schwartz of Austin appeared two years ago on “Trading Spaces” on The Learning Channel. The family does not allow alcohol in their home, and they told the show’s producers this. But when their newly designed kitchen was revealed, it showed 4,000 wine labels plastered on the wall.
“I was shocked,” Bryan Schwartz told his local paper at the time. “The designers are the stars of the show. They knew who we are, but I think they already knew what they wanted to do.”
When the Rosiers’ renovated Lemont home was “revealed” to them July 23, 2004, producers had to re-film the scene a few times because the family didn’t look happy enough, Gary Rosier said.
“We were horrified at what we saw,” he said.
The Rosiers’ suit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, also alleged that general contractor David Dressler Inc. performed “incompetent” and “negligent” work on the Rosiers’ home. The suit alleged some of the “hundreds” of problems with the renovated home: smoke alarms that didn’t function; mold growing inside the house; exposed electrical wiring; the furnace installed in an inaccessible crawl space; and improperly installed plumbing, electrical wiring and railings along the wheelchair ramp.
Dressler, a home builder in northern Illinois, did not respond to repeated calls to talk about the Rosier case.
The Rosiers’ lawsuit seeks monetary damages and asks that a judge set aside the contract based on “fraudulent inducement in getting the family to sign,” said their lawyer, Mark Belongia.
Fox officials referred calls to Rocket Science, the producer of the show, which has been canceled, though some episodes were recently aired.
Matt Laviano, business and legal affairs manager for the producer, said he could not comment on pending litigation. But, before the lawsuit was filed, Laviano said in an interview about the Rosiers’ claims that Fox and the production company were trying to find a way “to make everyone happy…. We want to find a way to work this out.”
Experts in home building, tax issues and television production say the only way to avoid such problems is to know what you’re getting into when you sign the contract.
The Rosiers say the production company told them that the contract they signed was just a formality. The Rosiers say they didn’t realize the paperwork was the “final” contract and did not consult a lawyer beforehand.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a makeover or a prize, you must pay taxes on it,” said Eric Schotz, of LMNO Productions, which produces a dozen reality television shows, including “Extreme Reunion” and “Fire Me, Please!”
“There’s an upgraded value, so there’s a tax consequence. The gray area may come if I nuke your house and build a new one and film it. Is it a house or a set? That might be the question,” Schotz said.
Industry experts say reality television emphasizes the dramatic element and looks for families or contestants who can fit that need for drama.
“It’s not a new model. It’s like the old `Queen For a Day’ shows. It’s just been re-invented and re-tooled,” said Schotz, referring to the 1960s game show in which contestants told of their need for appliances and other goods. As in all game shows, contestants had to pay taxes on their winnings.
Producers of most home-makeover shows acknowledge that construction timetables can be an issue. But it’s the time constraint that adds to the drama, said Schotz.
Some in televised home renovation say families might avoid problems if they understood what it takes to fix up a house.
The “This Old House” series, the mother of TV home renovations, has fixed up just 50 homes in 25 years. If crews worked any faster, there would be problems, said executive producer Bruce Irving.
“Speeding things up tends to mean corners get cut. You have to get the structure correct. It’s not the sexiest subject matter sometimes. But the fundamentals of building are something we can never scrimp on,” he said.
