Minneapolis Could Take Abandoned Home From TV Star Nicole Curtis

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minneapolis may take back an abandoned house after city leaders say a reality TV star failed to fix it up.

Nicole Curtis paid $2 for this north Minneapolis home nearly four years ago. Last year, a WCCO investigation found Curtis has been in violation of the contract she signed with the city to finish the project.

Now, what happened last weekend some are calling the final straw in this years-long saga. The Facebook post came Saturday afternoon on Nicole Curtis' page, a last-minute fund-raiser for a friend fighting cancer. Pay $5 at the door Sunday to see the construction of her Hillside Avenue home.

But, just hours before that post, Curtis met Minneapolis City Council Member Blong Yang and other city staff on site.

"I just thought it was inappropriate," Yang said.

They say they'd been trying to connect with her since last fall to see for themselves what's going on.

Jon Lundberg said the neighborhood is fed up.

"We decided to come down to the event today not to distract from the money going to a good cause but to point out the fact that this is a charade and a lie," Lundberg said.

Juliee Oden lives across the street from the property.

"Piles of rocks, foundation -- everything was left as if time stood still and the earth stopped," she said.

The reality star's contract with the city states the house should have been finished 19 months ago.  Two liens are on the property for unpaid bills and Curtis is on the hook for thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes and fines.

"We need to be better at not allowing something like this to ever happen again," Yang said.

Council member Yang believes Curtis's celebrity status has slowed the city's response, fearing backlash from her fans. Now, the city is exploring buying the house back or taking it through legal means.

"The neighbors don't deserve this," he said.

Residents are left to question whether Curtis cares about fixing up their neighborhood.

"If she did, her actions would have proven it," Yang said.

Nicole Curtis' management team told WCCO Curtis had no comment on the situation.

The city is now waiting on the results of the appraisal and assessment from their walk-through to determine what happens next.