As they later discovered, Bedsole registered the trailer under his own name and the family was forced to move out of it. According to the Richards family, “Tiny House Nation”s production staff made it clear that they held no responsibility for the incident, leaving the legal issue to be solved between them and Bedsole.
Although the dispute between the Richards family and Mike Bedsole was apparently never taken to court, problems didn’t end there. As it happened, the fact that the issue involved a famous TV show was enough to quickly attract the media’s attention, resulting in an apparent massive backlash against Bedsole.
Due to it, in 2020 Bedsole filed a $250 million lawsuit against two Californian TV channels for defamation.
As stated in court papers, the stories shared by these stations allegedly implied Bedsole had committed illegal activities related to his dispute with the Richards family, which had ultimately negatively affected his business Tiny House Chattanooga, and his personal reputation.
Meanwhile, defendants argued that their content was meant for audiences in California, and so was out of the jurisdiction of Tennessee, where the case was filed. However, both TV stations failed to base their reports on the court’s documents issued when the Richards were evicted from the trailer in dispute, as the case’s judge noted.
As of late 2021, the case is still in court, but has kept the media’s attention for more than its involvement with “Tiny House Nation”, as it’s been deemed a case of infringement to people’s freedom of speech. As well, it’s been argued that the case is of general interest due to the public nature of the show.
It’s worth noting that by appearing in “Tiny House Nation”, the builders’ business usually gains more recognition. Conversely, negative opinions about their work could easily spread like wildfire, affecting their companies more than it would if they didn’t appear in the show.
Knowing this, it’s only understandable why a negative review about builder Charles Brzezinski made him start a million-dollar legal battle. It all dates back to 2016, when Jared Logan and Vanessa Wesley were showcased in a “Tiny House Nation”s third season’s episode. Although nothing wrong was visible on screen, behind the scenes the homeowners were quite displeased with Brzezinski’s work, a feeling they openly expressed on an online review of his business later.
The couple accused him of unprofessionalism, leaving their house incomplete, with severe unfixed problems, holding their home hostage until they reviewed his work positively, and even alleging that Brzezinski wasn’t legitimately licensed as a contractor, perhaps something that should have been established prior to contracts being signed?
Word about Brzezinski’s apparent less than favorable work ethic spread, leading him to file a lawsuit against Logan and Wesley, demanding $1 million in damages for the alleged negative effect their review had on his reputation. Though it’s unknown what the court’s final decision for the case was, Brzezinski’s business is apparently still active, but negative reviews on his website are numerous.
Fraud Accusations
Unfortunately, when it comes to contracts and money, it’s only natural for somethings to turn out badly. However, it’s another thing when serious mistakes happen just a little too often.
The latter explains very well the situation with Scott Stewart, one of “Tiny House Nation” builders who despite normally doing a great job in the show, apparently didn’t satisfy his off-camera clients.
It turns out that Stewart had repeatedly failed to refund many of his customers’ commissioned houses. The reason behind his apparent lack of compromise at finishing these projects wasn’t revealed, but due to it, at least seven complaints from his former clients were filed from 2014 to 2019 in Colorado, Georgia, California, Arkansas and New Mexico.
As is apparent, the cases hadn’t prospered until the General Attorney from Arkansas – Leslie Rutledge – sued him for fraud in 2019. As stated, the lawsuit could prevent him from ‘taking advantage’ of more customers, whom he’d apparently billed for $115,000 by then.
In 2020, Stewart was finally ordered to pay $240,000, split between restitution to his former clients, civil penalties, and fees.
Tiny House Nation
How Were People Cast In The Show?
There might be little chance of “Tiny House Nation” ever coming back to TV, but that doesn’t mean hopes are completely lost. Knowing that, it’s understandable that many people want to know how the participants were cast in it, just in case the show ever does return.
Judging by the casting requirements the show posted back in the day, applicants should have had over $40,000 to afford the project. It doesn’t mention if owning a foundation or a trailer was required, but by reading past participants’ shared experiences, the latter was apparently provided by the show.
However, money is only part of the equation. To participate in “Tiny House Nation”, homeowners must have had a strong will to embrace the tiny housing lifestyle without inconvenience. While this requirement isn’t explicitly mentioned, since it should be obvious, it’s evidently a strong factor to consider, despite the resource advantages that it provides.
