Tim Evans and Tony Cook | IndyStar

The new Bravo TV show "Flipping Exes" will play up the baggage between a former couple as they flip homes in Carmel.

But their romantic past may not be their only baggage.

Co-stars Christina "Nina" Klemm and Michael LeSure have thousands of dollars in outstanding Indiana tax warrants and are facing a lawsuit filed by a Colorado investor who says they defrauded him.

LeSure, who Bravo describes as a numbers-savvy former financier, also has a bankruptcy in his past that left $467,000 in claims unpaid, according to court records.

Klemm and LeSure did not respond to messages seeking comment, but their attorneys denied the lawsuit's allegations.

The financial, legal and tax issues shine a different light on the duo portrayed as sassy and successful real estate pros in Bravo's marketing of the new program, which debuts at 10 p.m. Aug. 6.

What Bravo knew about those issues remains unclear.

Show hypes ex-couple's "baggage"

Bravo describes "Flipping Exes" as a docu-series about a couple "who turned their breakup into a business."

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"There's plenty of bickering and playful flirtation between the two as Michael tries to manage Nina's expensive taste while staying on budget," Bravo promises. "It’s not always a walk in the park with this couple as they are often triggered by baggage left over from their personal relationship."

In a promotional video, the pair say Klemm handles the design, marketing and sales, while LeSure takes care of purchases, budgeting and construction.

Business filings show Klemm created Flipping Exes LLC in 2015 after her break up with LeSure. They launched a YouTube channel and website with the goal of educating and assisting potential investors looking to cash in on the home flipping craze.

They're among a growing number of entrepreneurs who have turned to the internet to capitalize on the trend in Indianapolis, where the relatively low cost of real estate is attractive to out-of-state investors. "Flipping Exes" will be the second show to feature a Central Indiana pair restoring and reselling homes. Popular HGTV show "Good Bones" features Karen Laine and Mina Starsiak Hawk, a mother-daughter team who operate Two Chicks and a Hammer.

The legal troubles Klemm and LeSure face are also not unique to the Indianapolis market. Another celebrity real estate personality, former "Fox & Friends" co-host Clayton Morris, is disputing fraud allegations in more than a dozen investor lawsuits involving the sale of Indianapolis rental properties.

Mykal McEldowney, IndyStar

Lawsuit alleges inflated sale, subpar renovation

In a lawsuit pending in Hamilton County, Klemm and LeSure are accused of conspiring to defraud a Colorado investor.

Steven Bearden of Temujin Properties LLC claims that Klemm, LeSure and LeSure's cousin, Earl Campbell, sold him an Indianapolis investment home in 2016 at an inflated price and then failed to properly renovate it.

LeSure and Campbell told Bearden his investment in the home flip would bring a return of at least 20%, according to the lawsuit.

Instead, Bearden got a home that the suit says did not have "a source of heat" or "a functioning sewer system." When Bearden complained, LeSure and Klemm guaranteed the project would be completed, the lawsuit says.

But the renovation work turned out to be subpar and dangerous, the lawsuit says. Unlicensed contractors left live electrical lines "loose within the walls of the home," creating "a fire and electrical hazard to anyone entering the home." A subcontractor also cut 90% of the way through rafters, jeopardizing the building's structural integrity. And a garage addition was full of structural problems.

Bearden claims he was also misled about the sale of the home. He was told the seller was an investment company that had fixed the home to a rent-ready standard, but in reality it was a company managed by Klemm's brother who had bought the home just hours before selling it to Bearden at a $30,000 markup.

Michael Hickey/Bravo

Klemm, LeSure and Campbell hid this "necessary and vital information to Bearden," the lawsuit says. They even charged him a $2,000 finders fee, the lawsuit says.

Klemm and LeSure are denying the allegations.

David Barker, a Carmel attorney who is representing Klemm, called the accusations against her "frivolous" and "unfounded." He accused Bearden of "going after people with deep pockets."

Barker insisted Klemm was not part of any deal with Bearden. She got dragged into the dispute because Campbell, who Barker described as a storm-chasing handyman, allegedly stole blank forms bearing Klemm's name from her real estate office while bringing her an invoice for work on an unrelated property, Barker said.

Campbell then appears to have used those forms to complete the deal, Barker said.

Campbell does not have an attorney on record in the lawsuit and could not be reached for comment.

Court records show LeSure does not currently have an attorney on record in the case, either. His former attorney, Stephen M. Terrell, withdrew in May after writing a letter to LeSure saying: “I have tried, and tried, and tried to reach you and get you to respond to my myriad of letters, emails and phone calls. ... I cannot continue representing a client whom I cannot contact.”

But when contacted Tuesday by IndyStar, Terrell said he plans to resume representing LeSure. He declined to talk about specifics of the lawsuit, but said LeSure denies the allegations in the case.

A pre-trial conference in the case is scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 21 in Hamilton Superior Court 3.

Tax problems, court judgment, bankruptcy

In addition to the lawsuit, Klemm and LeSure also have a history of overdue taxes.

Klemm often pays her taxes late and currently has an outstanding tax warrant in Hamilton County for $2,277, according to public tax records. She also had a $5,700 judgment in 2013 for failing to pay credit card debt, court records show.

Michael Hickey/Bravo

LeSure's tax delinquencies are even larger. He currently has at least five outstanding tax warrants in Marion and Hamilton counties for a total of $30,430. One of his companies also had $700 in delinquent taxes and penalties on its 2019 property tax bill for an Indianapolis duplex, state tax records show. And he once abandoned another house in Indianapolis that was sold for $750 at a county surplus sale in 2016.

The failure to pay taxes doesn't seem to line up with the image Bravo paints of LeSure as "a former financier who turned his savviness with numbers into overseeing construction and operations."

But then, neither does his bankruptcy.

LeSure filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, claiming more than $2.5 million in debt when the case was discharged in 2014. Records show more than $467,000 in claims were discharged without payment.

Then in January, LeSure faced potential eviction from the home he rents in Carmel. The landlord filed legal action against LeSure alleging he failed to pay rent for two months. The filing in Hamilton Superior Court also said LeSure had not paid utility bills, forcing the landlord to pay them to avoid a lien on the property.

The landlord asked for a judgment of more than $2,900, and an eviction hearing was set for July 10.

But after being contacted by IndyStar about the court case, the landlord said she planned to dismiss it. Online court records show the motion to dismiss was filed Wednesday.

Bravo silent on pair's history

A Bravo spokeswoman declined to say whether the network was aware of the couple's legal, financial and tax challenges.

Klemm's attorney said Bravo did a background check. It's unclear, however, what that background check revealed.

It's also unclear what the company that produced the show knew. Rock Shrimp Productions, a company co-founded by celebrity chef Bobby Flay, is listed as executive producer.

In an email Tuesday to IndyStar, Rock Shrimp co-founder Kim Martin said: "There was one legal issue, but I’m not sure it’s the same one that you are referencing here. I am not aware of Michael ever filing for bankruptcy."

Contact IndyStar reporter Tony Cook at 317-444-6081 or tony.cook@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @IndyStarTony.