NJ couple sue 'Kitchen Cousins' construction company

A New Jersey couple allege in a lawsuit the stars of HGTV's "Kitchen Cousins" did shoddy work on their home renovation and left without finishing the project. Robert and Peng Avery filed the lawsuit in Bergen County Court, accusing John Colaneri and Anthony Carrino of consumer fraud, breach of contract, fraud in the inducement, breach of faith, common law fraud, negligence and wrongful commencement of arbitration, Courthouse New Service reported Tuesday. The Averys said they hired the cousins' company, Brunelleschi Construction, to renovate their Tenafly home in February. In April, the couple noticed problems, starting with when the company delayed ordering plumbing fixtures for months, then tried to charge them for more expensive fixtures than they selected. The lawsuit also said that on July 28 the defendants "claimed final building and electrical inspections had passed when indeed they had not." The Averys said they "never occupied the home, because of its unfinished state and the withholding of a certificate of occupancy by the borough of Tenafly, due to defendant's inability to complete the work in a timely fashion." The Averys said they paid Brunelleschi Construction $211,000 for the work before the company abandoned the project without giving a reason. The couple allege the slipshod work included "numerous gaps" in the drywall, improperly installed ductwork, incomplete plumbing hookups, improperly installed doors "resulting in wide gaps" and a toilet that was not installed to code. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.