There is no Home Town HGTV lawsuit. Ben and Erin Napier have not been sued over their renovation work in Laurel, Mississippi, and neither has the show itself. The active legal matter tied to the Napiers’ world is an unresolved insurance claim with Liberty Mutual over the August 2025 fire that gutted the Heirloom Hotel, a project the couple developed with close friends and featured on the HGTV spinoff Home Town: Inn This Together. A separate HGTV renovation series, Fixer to Fabulous, has faced construction-defect lawsuits, and those are sometimes confused with Home Town.
The Heirloom Hotel Fire and the Insurance Claim
The Heirloom Hotel was a 25,000-square-foot conversion of the former Kress department store on Central Avenue in Laurel into a 30-room boutique hotel with retail space and a cooking school. Days before the scheduled grand opening, on August 26, 2025, a fire broke out in the upper floors. The building was empty and no one was hurt.1Clarion Ledger. Mississippi Hotel Fire Insurance Claim in Limbo Laurel Fire Chief Leo Brown said the blaze was accidental with “no foul play involved,” and a preliminary investigation pointed to an electrical cause.2Leader-Call. Heirloom Fire Accidental, First Reports Show
The interior was destroyed. Co-owner Jim Rasberry said nothing inside was salvageable, though a lobby welcome sign and copies of vintage family recipes survived.3Clarion Ledger. Will Owners of Mississippi Heirloom Hotel Rebuild After Fire
Nearly a year later, the insurance claim filed with Liberty Mutual is still open. In May 2026, Erin Napier said “there is nothing but waiting now to see what happens with insurance.”1Clarion Ledger. Mississippi Hotel Fire Insurance Claim in Limbo The Napiers have publicly criticized Liberty Mutual for the delay, and fans have contacted the insurer online and by mail asking it to finalize the claim.4House Beautiful. Ben and Erin Napier Insurance Battle Heirloom Hotel Fire No lawsuit against Liberty Mutual has been reported.
The building has a new roof, but interior reconstruction has not started. Co-owner Josh Nowell has said he does not plan to replicate the original design and is considering additions such as a rooftop bar and a pool with cabanas.5HGTV. The Heirloom Hotel Fire: What’s Next There is no announced reopening timeline. The owners discouraged GoFundMe donations and instead partnered with Laurel Mercantile to sell merchandise, including photo rails made from salvaged original flooring, to support the rebuild.3Clarion Ledger. Will Owners of Mississippi Heirloom Hotel Rebuild After Fire
Why the Napiers Aren’t Hosting the Canadian Spinoff
The Napiers are not hosting Home Town Takeover Canada, but there is no contract dispute behind that decision. Canada’s Online Streaming Act, which became law in April 2023, requires Canadian broadcast programming to maximize the use of Canadian talent and creators. Ben Napier put it plainly: “A Canadian broadcast show has to be hosted by Canadian talent.”6Deadline. Erin Ben Napier Won’t Host Home Town Takeover The couple will appear as guest stars. No legal challenge to the Canadian content rule has been reported.
The Fixer to Fabulous Lawsuits People Confuse With Home Town
Searches for HGTV renovation lawsuits often surface cases involving Dave and Jenny Marrs, the stars of Fixer to Fabulous. Those cases are unrelated to Home Town, but the pattern is worth knowing.
In 2021, an unnamed Arkansas couple sued Marrs Construction, alleging the company failed to complete work on their home without defects. The complaint also stated that neither Marrs Developing, LLC nor Marrs Construction, Inc. held an Arkansas Contractor’s License or obtained required construction permits from Benton County.7Fox 59. Court Filings Reveal New Details in Lawsuit Against HGTV Stars’ Companies Judge Xollie Duncan dismissed the case in March 2022, stating that the plaintiffs had “settled their claims and fully released the defendants.”8Yahoo News. Settlement Reached in Lawsuit Involving HGTV Terms were not disclosed.
A second suit, filed in February 2023 by Matthew and Sarah McGrath against Marrs Construction and Jupiter Rentals (both owned by Dave Marrs), alleged breach of contract and breach of warranty. The McGraths said they bought an Arkansas home from Jupiter Rentals in May 2022 for $559,000, with $10,125 in agreed-upon upgrades that were not completed by closing. After moving in, they said they found a “multitude of additional defects.”9People. Dave and Jenny Marrs Settle Lawsuit From Clients A third-party inspection cited nearly two dozen code issues, including a deck screwed rather than bolted to the house, which was flagged as a “critical safety issue,” along with problems with roof framing, wall bracing, window installation, and drainage. Estimated repair costs for the driveway, walkways, and landscaping alone exceeded $86,000.10NWA Homepage. Court Filings Reveal New Details in Fixer to Fabulous Lawsuit
The McGrath case was set for a five-day jury trial in Benton County. The parties settled on January 23, 2025, three days before trial. A court filing stated that all pending claims had been “fully compromised by settlement” and the case was dismissed with prejudice.8Yahoo News. Settlement Reached in Lawsuit Involving HGTV Financial terms were not made public.
Neither of those cases involves the Napiers, HGTV’s Home Town, or any project featured on that show.