Nicole Curtis Connects With 89-Year-Old Man Who Grew up in the Detroit Home She Is Trying to Save
HGTV's Nicole Curtis is currently suing the Detroit Land Bank Authority (DLBA) after it took the deed of a property she had been maintaining and paying taxes on since 2017. The lawsuit came after over three years of Curtis trying to come to an agreement with the Bank over ownership.
The home is currently run down and in major need of renovation. It appears to have been abandoned for over 50 years, Curtis's team tells House Beautiful. Despite believing the property didn't have a particularly rich history, the Detroit reno expert still wanted to preserve it—that's what she does on Rehab Addict and Rehab Addict Rescue, after all. However, in a recent odd twist of fate, she was able to piece together more of this home's backstory.
Bob Luyckx, 89, grew up in the home, which is located on Detroit's East Grand Blvd, for the first seven years of his life from 1932 to 1939. After recognizing the address of his childhood home in a newspaper article about the lawsuit, his niece was able to connect with Curtis on Facebook. Much like Curtis, Bob also didn't want to see the house destroyed.
Curtis spoke with Bob's son Mike over the phone to learn more about the home. On his father's behalf, he was able to provide photos of the home in its glory days. As Curtis learned, Bob had five siblings and is currently the last one living. While living in the home, his family had their own furniture business in town, T.A. Luyckx and Sons.
"These houses mean everything to me, but it's very rare that I find the families that they truly belong to," Curtis said in a statement provided to House Beautiful. Although Bob hasn't called the property home in over 80 years, he still feels a special attachment to it and hopes it will be spared.
"My dad and our entire family hold strong ties and memories to the city and this home. Honestly, we’ve all been fans of Nicole and her team's respect and dedication to rebuilding Detroit," Mike told Curtis in an accompanying statement.
After meeting Luyckx, it became clear to Curtis that she is no longer fighting to save just any abandoned property—she's fighting to save the Luyckx family's former home. You can read more about the lawsuit here.
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