Court puts receiver in control of troubled Mesa assisted living facility
Apr 23, 2024, 12:30 PM
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PHOENIX – A third-party receiver was appointed to take control of Heritage Village, a Mesa assisted living facility accused of abuse and consumer fraud, according to a Tuesday court filing.
Peter S. Davis of J.S. Held, LLC was appointed as receiver for the facility as part of a lawsuit filed March 15 by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.
“Appointing a receiver is just the first step in protecting the residents of Heritage Village. The receiver will need to ensure ongoing care for residents and ultimately find new owners qualified to run the facility properly,” Mayes said in a press release.
“The residents of this facility and their families deserve much better care and support than they have received in the past, and this is a significant step in ensuring they do.”
Davis “shall be accountable directly” to the court, according to the receivership agreement.
What does Heritage Village think about receivership agreement?
Gary Langendoen, senior managing director of Madison Realty Companies, which represents Heritage Village management, called the agreement “an important step forward.”
“A protracted court process would not have benefited anyone, least of all our residents,” Langendoen said in a press release. “We’re happy to have resolved this matter by working with the attorney general’s team, and we look forward to smoothly transitioning operations under the oversight of the receiver.”
How did it get to this point at Mesa assisted living facility?
Heritage Village cares for about 150 patients at its assisted living facility on Brown Road near the Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway in east Mesa.
In October, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs directed the state Department of Health Services and the Department of Economic Security’s Adult Protective Services program to investigate complaints at the facility.
That came after the Arizona Republic reported that Heritage Village received 148 citations from the state over the previous three years, 2.5 times more than any other assisted living facility.
In January, the Department of Health Services told Heritage Village its license was going to be revoked due to repeated violations.
Mayes’ lawsuit pushed for an ownership change so the facility wouldn’t be shut down, which would leave residents and their families scrambling to find new arrangements.