The ABC home-building reality TV show builds a home for five orphans who are later evicted by the family who took them in.
On Easter Sunday 2005, ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition aired an especially poignant episode. Five children, ages 14-21, from the Higgins family were orphaned. A couple from their church, with three children of their own, took them in. The result was 10 people living in cramped quarters.…
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— go to most recent comments76 - stan
TRUMPETER....#59 is absolutely correct. unfortunatly, it seems that only white christians know that. if white people say or do anything bad about another race, it's racism. this is only for white people though. nobody else has to worry about being called racist. i guess we can thank the liberal media for that. i can't figure out why christians are attacked so much. there are bad people in every religion, however, it seems the muslims are the only ones killing innocent people and bragging about it.
77 - adders
The point is not that these people were supposedly Christians, bad and good people come from all walks of life. I believe the most important thing is how we treat other people. It is ignorant to say that all Christians are bad people or fakes and also ignorant to say that atheists, agnostics, etc. are terrible for not believing in or ignoring God. The point is what kind of person we are and what we are trying to become. These companies should not be penalized for trying to be "good samaritans." We can only hope that they try to make things right for these poor children.
78 - Carolyn
I did not see the segment nor do I know all the facts. However, I have suspicions that this so called "church family" had ulterior and selfish motives in their so called "christian" assistance. It is a great disservice to those persons who truly give unselfishly to others. This "church" family should not be able to continue to have the benefits of a new home at the expense of the Higgins children. The Higgins children have undergone a traumatic experience in initially losing their family and home only to be subjected to a second tragedy of rejection and possibly being taken advantage of by this "church" family.
One must always use intelligence, logic, reasoning, and judgment and when evaluating "church" people. There are many selfish and "unchristian" people wearing the guise of "church affiliation." This church should stand up and be counted -- for the Higgins Children AND seriously question this family who took advantage of the situation.
79 - chikkin
#59 is right. It is acceptable in this day and age to bash Christians and wrong to do so to any other religious group. Being a jerk is something you can be when you are of any faith or of no faith. Lets remember that here, people. Leave the host family's faith out of it and leave bigoted thoughts where they came from. What it sounds like they did was unacceptable. Do we know both sides? No, not yet, and because we were not in the home, the real truth will never be known. We were not there. One good lesson I learned in church was judge not lest ye be judged yourselves. It is up to God to judge. What I learned in government class was all charged are innocent until proven guilty. Remember that one?
80 - wayfer760
In the gist of many of the angry responses were some good points. ABC and the show itself may have their hands tied due to the contract, however, misrepresentation (fraud) is a crime on any front, especially if someone profits from it. I say receiving a brand new, newly furnished mansion (that's what we call a 9 bedroom house in my part of the US), with no mortgage, constitutes profit. The local, state and federal governments should tax them heavily, especially, since the conditions by which this gift was received no longer exists. Also, whoever volunteered their time and energy, be it neighbors, friends, etc., should consider some action if they are not bound by the show's contract. They, too, have been victimized. As for the Higgin's children, they should sue for the personal property that was donated for their own use plus a percentage of what was donated for shared use, including any cash. I've seen the show on occassion and I know they spare no costs for those in need. If the victims were elderly, every government agency, or subsidiary would look into this.
As for the show, keep up the good work!! Just try to be more protective of the innocent.
81 - chikkin
You know, I just scrolled up and saw that what was there as #59 is now #58.
82 - Ty
"I don't know why the show should be sued!"
I do. ABC is in the business of making money off of the misfortunes of others. Check out Smoking Gun, there is an e-mail where an ABC Casting Director is told to find certain ailments to depict on the show. They are told they want kids with diseases, etc, etc.
Anyways, in this situation, ABC aired a repeat of this show at a time after the Higgins had been kicked out of that house. If I were a Higgins kid, being kicked out of the pimped out house was bad enough, but to see the episode re-aired is deplorable.
The blame also is two-fold. The horrible couple that should be killed, along with ABC not making sure this situation would not happen. I agree with the statement that ABC lawyers are inept. Since this was a case where there was no relation between the couple and the orphan kids, ABC should have mandated that the couple deed to the house to the Orphan kids + couple, as tenants in common (it's a legal term).
Then the couple would not have been able to evict the kids, but rightfully have their fair share of ownership in the house. This way the couple would not own the whole house + improvments, but rather just a piece of it. In fact it would have been fair if the couple's ownership stake was 50%, and the orphan kids' stake all together was 50%.
Of course ABC goofed by not doing this (the lawyers should have thought of this!), and now ABC has some blame, even though the lionshare of blame goes to that awful couple.
83 - Phillip Winn
Vic, you're missed. And rest assured that we've got plenty of Christians around to help balance out the ardent anti-theists. It's all about an open forum.
84 - amy
typical christian family...takes them in, then throws them out....man, i want to be a christian.
85 - AMY
TYPICAL AMY ANSWER..WHAT AN IDIOT..ARE YOU TWELVE YEARS OLD?
86 - KJ
Firstly, I'm a Christian and I have no problem doing for others, even if it means I use the last of what I have. This family was not Christian, believe me. I saw the episode and I have to say that since they used the Higgins family tragedy for their gain, the Higgins family should reap the benefits. Those children lost their parents within months of each other and then they lost their home too? No. I say give them what is theirs: the house and everything inside of it.
87 - Yaya
The devil does not come in form of a green-eyed monster with 7 horns and a tail. The devil operates through people!!
I hope this whole mess ends well.
88 - furman
I hate kids!
89 - What You're Secretly Thinking
Personally, I would have thrown them out too. They think they are entitled to the house just because they are orphans? Please!
90 - GoTrusted.com
Don't become a victim
91 - taoist
Christian, in this day is a lable, and it does not reflect the contents, Just like Harley rider in the 60 is not the same as today, the image is put on like a piece of clothing, few look any deeper that the surface image, and miss the vanity of the wearer. Gripe about Christian bashing being invogue while other remain unscathed? Might it not be that people are comfortable doing so, knowing that a christian will "turn the other cheek". Is this bad? People are offended when others criticize their children, but are guilty of the same deed. What ever the outcome, I hope the Higgins's can laugh about this someday, and the rest need to wake up, the image on your screen is a source of revenue, not a source of truth.
92 - RAY
Since the host family owned or was paying for their home before the show, they should keep the 'new' home, although the free mortgage should be taken back and they should have to pay for it. With all of the empty bedrooms maybe they could rent them out to pay the house payments. The original mortgage should be used to build the Higgins kids a home of thier own, with a 'free' mortgage and clear, unmistakeable contract.
93 - Vegassue
An absolutely horrible turn of events for those orphan children. They have already been through enough. Whether they were pawns used in a sophiticated scam by the "foster family" or not, the end result was still heartbreaking for them. Some pointed comments were made about "Christians" and there you are. Wake up people, scumbags cut across all religions, races and creeds. It is unfair to "whitewash" all people of a certain group because of the deplorable actions of the few!
94 - zep
The classic of how everyone uses everyone to get gain.
95 - Mike
This is an amazing series of comments. Wouldn't it be better to wait until the facts are known before damning the family that took the kids into their home. Isn't it possible the kids were sore that the house wasn't in their names and left the house, while claiming to have been evicted? On the other hand, maybe the family that took in the kids is as venal as everyone seems to think. The point is that it's too early to know the right or wrong of the situation. The truth may be different than everyone seems to think it is. I'm withholding my judgment for now.
96 - ASSume
The knee jerk reaction to this is to understanably side with the kids. But...what REALLY HAPPENED to get these kids evicted...? This day and age CHILDREN think they have a RIGHT to tell an Adult WHAT TO DO. The OWNER of the house is an adult and the Higgins are CHILDREN. They live by the Adults (Owners) Rules. Once you turn 18 you are LEGALLY AN ADULT. Charles Higgins is an ADULT. He and his siblings might have been ungrateful little brats once they moved in, in the first place. My guess is that He and the owners got into a heated argument over who was exactly in charge around there. So now that push has come to shove he was shown the door, and miscalculated that he was also in charge of his siblings. Did they get out of line ALSO...? Who knows...? Then you might want to consider at what point do the owners say "OK Kids time to move out" once the last one turns 18. What happens then...? Bottom line is, is that it's NOT the Higgins' house. PERIOD! Going to church has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with this case. I'll bet they Have a Driver's license and are right handed also, but that doesn't have anything to do with the house either does it...? So why bring it up...? One way or another THERE WILL BE JUSTICE. If the owners are found to be the monsters that they are accused of being then they WILL PAY. Just don't ASSume anything until you know ALL the facts. Sounds like ABC will be doing a follow-up show during sweeps week, eh?
97 - Sam from Detroit, MI
This will be a good court case because the donations were gifts the suit will ask at least two guestions, "Were the gifts given to the orphans and the property owners; 2) How much of the sale price will the evicting family have to pay to the evicted Higgins because their presence in the house sparked for the giving.
Gifts are tax deductible if the gift giver by definition does not reap reward (thus the paying off of the mortgage), the contractors are safe but ABC and Sears are wishing that they had a better contract if you can attach a monitory value to advertisement fees and exposure.
Don't stop giving.
The contract should state to whom the gifts were given. If the house was given to the land owner then the property owner can evict the non-property owner. If the evicted can prove that they have a vested interest in the property they can sue for their portion of the fair market value.
Question? Does that state require gift tax payment?
Don't stop giving.
98 - Dave
This really does not surprise me. I have found that almost without exception that church going people are among the most evil and corrupt people in the world. Anyone that needs moral guidance from an external entity is inherently untrustworthy.
99 - sleepless snowman
ABC should start a new show, Extreme Make Over: Demolition Edition.
100 - Mr. Real Estate
It just goes to show you that not everything we see on reality TV is real.
101 - JustinCase
I'm lovin' it!!! This is damn funny! I guess the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.
I feel sorry for the homeowners, they are stuck with a house full of Sears furniture! lol
102 - Guy Incognito
While my initial reaction was to consider the logistics of getting my friends (professional house movers) to 'relocate' the house, I have to wonder what we're not being told here. Sure it's bad that the Higgins are no longer in the home that was expanded specifically to make them more comfortable, and the way the story is presented makes the Leomiti family look like grade-A jerks, but it's easy to jump to conclusions when you only know one side of a story.
Something similar happened when my family took in a family from our church who (we thought) had been evicted from their home unfairly. At the time we had a second house and we let them live there for several months without charging them rent or utilities. They trashed the house and the parents regularly left their 3 kids (all under 7) home alone for days at a time with little or no food. They'd go to neighbors asking for food cause they were hungry, but the parents were always back just before the police. When my dad went to see for himself and found the kids alone, he called the cops as well. The parents returned while he was waiting and they tried to have my father arrested as a burglar (the cops knew he owned the house though). The kids were taken by CPS and we evicted the parents (who tried to burn the house down before leaving but got caught), so they went on TV and claimed we kicked them out and lied to CPS because we were racists and they were a 'mixed race' family (no explanation for why they lived there for almost 6 months without problems). We suffered death threats and my father was attacked twice before the truth became widely known.
Last I heard they went on to do pretty much the same thing at least twice more in other parts of the country, glomming off someone trying to be nice, then trying to claim they were the victims of prejudice when they got in trouble. Each time they severely damaged someone's reputation with their false claims.
All I'm saying is that there's two sides (at least) to every story, and it's usually bad to make judgements when you only know one side.
103 - Paragon Complex
Sucks for them.
104 - Josh Lewis
Latest update:
Charles Higgins is now claiming that the house is legally owned by the Higgins family and not the family that bought and paid for the house.
He claims it is the shows responsibility to find a home for the displaced family.
The trial will loads of laffs.
105 - Lived Next Door to Them 4 Decades
I agree with this reply:
"Since the host family owned or was paying for their home before the show, they should keep the 'new' home, although the free mortgage should be taken back and they should have to pay for it. With all of the empty bedrooms maybe they could rent them out to pay the house payments. The original mortgage should be used to build the Higgins kids a home of thier own, with a 'free' mortgage and clear, unmistakeable contract."
Now, regarding why are so many people attacking Christians? Because so many of us have suffered under them for decades (I can sadly carry on for hours with my personal injustices, but will refrain), and FINALLY have a chance to stand up and fight back, just as they are gaining so much momentum, and are about to run our country into ruins. Bonnets versus burkas, what's the flaming difference?
Religion is a ruse of the powerful to distract the populous while their pillaging runs rampant. Look, Fido, gay marriage! Go get 'em, boy, while I take away your health, job, land, house, resources below your soil, and personal freedoms! Good boy, praise the Lord, Amen Ra! Pat, pat.
None of the other groups named above ever trashed my life like the Hypocrites have. That's why I never bash them. I absolutely abhored being forced to say "Under God" every day in school. I would fall silent for those two words. Not after what they were doing to me and my family and my friends. Forcing someone to pay lip service to you, and live their lives according to your choice, not theirs, is not very Christian, but it's exactly what so many of us have had to endure for years, and damned if I'm not going to fight back with every thread of my being. I give and give and give and the hypocrites take and take and take and think they deserve more and more and more.
It's called TACIT ACCEPTANCE. If you don't instantly excommunicate someone for their trespasses, they assume that you support them. If a member of the KKK in Indiana lynches someone, and their fellow Klansmen in Ohio don't immediately stand up and object to his actions, they are JUST AS GUILTY. Individuals act assuming the support of the silent. Enforce the rules, among yourselves, that you use to tell the rest of us that we are inferior.
UNTIL YOU CLEAN YOUR OWN HOUSE, AND UNTIL YOU STOP ELECTING CROOKS WHO SUCK THE LIFE OUT OF OUR COUNTRY, DON'T EXPECT OUR RESPECT. We could have established a complete country wide infrastructure or two for alternative fuels with the money we've spent in Iraq (I'm an automotive engineer, I KNOW), funneling the cash into the hands of the few. Viet Nam flaming all over again. We never learned a blessed thing.
There are a few wonderful countries that have balanced budgets and wonderful health care, yet aren't overwhelmingly strangle held by either Muslims or Christians. I plan to retire in one of them the second it can recover from being raped by the price gouging of the very same US oil barons who didn't have to take an oath before testifying.
106 - Lived Next Door to Them 4 Decades
Oops, typo ... Religion is a ruse of the powerful to distract the _populace_ while their pillaging runs rampant.
107 - Lisa Bearden
I am very disturbed by this article. That family got their house rebuilt for taking in 5 children that needed a home. They should not be allowed to keep it. They probly adopted the kids so they could get on the show. If this can be proven these people should be held accountable. Someone needs to help these kids make sure their case is proplerly made! Help the Higgins!
108 - Robbie3
Thank you, Megan #64, for that useful information provided in the Abrams interview, which I just read.
Here is my take on the situation.
1. The Host family would not have received so lavish a home expansion (mortgage paid: Thank You) were it not for the 5 childrens' dire need. The host family, therefore, was "Unjustly Enriched" - Something is owed to the 5 children.
2. For those amoung us, including Abrams himself, who believe that ABC should not be held liable, as they were only trying to "do a good deed" Consider this: ABC chose to air this heart-rending show, as the Abrams interview indicates, several times, in spite of the "true ending", of which they were aware. ABC, therefore, was "Unjustly Enriched" by the extra advertising revenue this (fraudulent) episode generated. Therefore, don't decry the "deep pocket" chase of the, all too many, attorneys. They work hard for the money. ...And they assume the initial risk. - Again: Something is owed to the 5 children.
I agree with the California Court of Appeal's finding portions of the contract "unenforceable and "unconscionable". This legal phrase has been a long-standing contractual remedy. Nothing new.
3. ... And this is indeed sad. The children have now been forced to live apart. Surely, something should be done on their behalf.
4. My complements to the person suggesting a solution worthy of Solomon, himself. The best way out of this for ABC is to build another home for the 5 children. Agreed. The ratings would be though the roof.
Thanx for reading.
109 - Robbie3
To: #106
Lived Next Door to Them 4 Decades.
Great post. I agree. Christians (and other tighty rightys) Please, WAKE UP! There's more work to do on the "right to life" agenda than just defending it's endpoints ...
110 - PoizonMyst
OMG ... it is stories like this which validate my faith in humanity.
111 - waitaminute
I agree with 106 - sorta. We Christians neglect certain responsibilities. Like leaving bible tracts instead of money for tips. The heart of Christ, the serving, the giving is dead in religion. Greed catches so many. Temptation is not quick to leave. This family will end up blessed with more character, the stuff money cant ever end up buying. Like the story of Joshua in the bible. He was thrown in a pit, sold into slavery, tossed in jail; nearly king by the end of his life. Thats justice. These other dudes will end up serving at their feet. Doing the right thing never goes unnoticed.
112 - ela
"No good deed goes unpunished" -Clare Boothe Luce
113 - WAKEUP
1. Christianity has never been about charity without some gain. Look at the WEALTH of the CATHOLIC CHURCH.
2. The Media has never been charitable without expecting something in return "YOU SORRY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WHO WATCH STUPID TV...GET A LIFE !!!
3. The AMERICAN GOVERNMENT DOES NOTHING CHARITABLE either, without TAXING THE HELL OUT IF IT'S CITIZENS to PAY FOR THEIR "CHARITABLE CAUSES!!!"
114 - Andrew supports American stupidity!
WOW! And I thought American people could get any more ****ed up. I hope the orphans take it to 'em in court and get the house for themselves. And as for the parents... I think they might need a good 'ol Irish lesson in manners.
115 - Nirodha
It sounds like this couple obviously used the Higgins childern for their own gain. Unfortunately, this sort of thing happens all too frequently to kids placed into foster care, etc..
It doesn't matter what religion these people were though, as bastards can be found in all of them. A lot people just use religion as a front for a good con. It happens all the time.
I do hope the Higgins childern win in court though, but I dont feel ABC is really to blame for their situation. Even so, it would be good PR and ethics for ABC to 'do right' by the kids by building them their own home and suing the con-artist couple.
People! Gotta love 'em. ;)
Happiness and Ease to you all,
Nirodha (Bill Gray)
116 - Mr. Damon Miller
A Cat in the hand is a bird in the bush.
117 - searchlight
The Lord giveth....The Lord taketh! Your time will come! You foster parents should be ashamed of yourselves kicking out those poor orphans after getting what you wanted from extreme makeovers! I bet a lot of people wish they could bash your faces right smack on the walls of your house! But instead it is best to leave it in God's hands! As it says in one of the scriptures in the bible "Vengeance is mine, only I will repay says the Lord" Every room in your house is now possessed with demons besides yourselves! You are now cursed! How could you sleep at night and live filthy lives?
118 - queen orange
Higgin Family...As you can see, all of us here writing comments one way or another feel for all of you. We pray for all of you! The family friends that took you in are in the wrong! They are nobody! You've been through a ENOUGH hell losing both parents. Your family friends have no right to make it worse and add salt to your wounds! I pray that God will help you all through this and bless you all with a more beautiful house that your family friend's. Your house will be blessed. And your family friends will have to answer to God! I don't understand how people can do other people wrong as though they will get away with it! They think they can deliberately commits all the sins they want or do people wrong, because God or the people they did wrong HAVE TO forgive them! NOT!
119 - Barry Melton
Admittedly, I haven't read every comment to this post, but from what it looks like, I've made it down to #120 or so without one single person noting that it might not be the foster parents' fault.
For all we know, the Higgins kids are pyromaniacs, and they had to be asked to leave because they kept setting the new house on fire.
I don't know what's going on at all, but it isn't necessarily fair to just assume that the foster parents are to blame when we only know part of one side of the story. It just seems unlikely to me that the same people willing to adopt in cramped conditions would evict their tenants willy-nilly after the fact. Yes, it's possible they just did it to game Extreme Home Makeover and get a new house, but the likelihood of that is slim, considering they never had any guarantee that EHM would even bother to visit them.
120 - Andrew Ogier
Despicable. It's obvious that the Higgin's were kicked out so the owners of the House could sell of their newly remodeled house, make a fortune to live off, and buy a cheaper house that suits them and their 3 kids.
I think that ABC should sue for Fraud, put the house on the Auction block, sell it, and pay back the owner's the same amount as they paid for the original house. All the extra money for the new fittings and new rooms and all extra added value that the EHME makeover would add to the house should be given to those poor Higgin's kids to buy their own house with. That way the other family gets what they had originally, and EMHE would give the additional benefits to the Higgin's kids as they originally intended, just in a different way.
The home owner's should also be named and shamed in their community for being the money grabbing evil manipulative bastards that they are.
121 - Meghan
I didn't see this particular episode, but it seems to me that if they hadn't taken in the five children the house would never have been remodeled. So those children should be entitled to something. If they were true Christians then they wouldn't have done what they did. I myself being a Christian am appalled that a fellow "Christian" would have done something so repulsive.
122 - jacksonville, fl
This is a prime reason why people are very reluctant to help anyone. You try to help and you end up getting sued. People have a weird sense of entitlement that breaks all laws of reason or morality and only adds to the countless other heartbreaking stories that are out there. This isn't some "Christians are bad" story; it's a story that proves that people more often than not seek their own personal gains. I'm not even sure why those old people being Christians or whatever makes any difference... they aren't perfect, and that's a fact no Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, etc will deny. The need to always turn something against Christians only makes me think people feel uneasy about their own place in the world... If they are so obviously hypocritical and evil as some people here perceive, then it would probably be a universally accepted fact that doesn't need to be reiterated. People are people, God is God, let's not get them mixed up.
123 - Jimmy
There is far too many posts so i couldnt read them all. But did the Higgins family win their court case?
124 - boogiemama
dont hate one the church going couple there comes a time and a place when it is time for others you are helping to PUSH ON .HELP -- doesnt always mean perminant i wish they would drop the lawsuit its very petttttyyyy!!! REMEMBER WHOSE HOME IT WAS be thankful for the time they stayed and received hepl because some people will not step forward to help they would have been in a shelter.I only say this because i once lived next to a christian young couple with 3 children who took in a couple with 7 children so a total of 14 people were living in a 3 bedroom home with a finished attic .they had to be TRUE christians because the 9brought them roaches so bad all the iinsulation had to be pulled outta the home.they knew the couple had roaches before they moved them in i dont think i could have tolerated it myself .THATS WHAT LETS YOU KNOW THE LORD SURLY CAN WORK IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS . I think there is a time and a place for everything and maybe it was time for them to go their separate ways CHURCH GOING FOLKS OR NOT.BUT DONT PUNISH A SHOW THATS DOING GOOD FOR THE PEOPLE IN NEED BECAUSE I WANTED TO TELL THEM OF SOMEONE WHO IS IN DIRE NEED OF HELP MYSELF
125 - Sheri
When this episode originally aired, the eldest Higgins was20 at the time, and the siblings wereall minors. From what I have read elsewhere, the Leomiti parents started calling the Higgins kids all sorts of vile, racial slurs and negative names, and started essentially evicting them. Sounds like real nice people huh? Phil Leomiti says in the beginning of the episode that Samoans are 'proud, humble people'...PROUD in the wrong ways...humble - apparently not. ABC/EMHE gaves each of the kids - Higgins too - theme specific rooms, clothes, cars, etc. The Higgins at the very least, should go back to that house with a police escort, and get everything that is rightfully theirs. The cars all had personalized plates on them. Humility isn't in the Leomiti's venacular. Greed, however, apparently is.