HARRISBURG — Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced restitution for 13 Pennsylvania consumers – including senior citizens — after reaching a settlement with a personal care home that closed unexpectedly and had failed to provide refunds to residents who prepaid for room and board.
Michael Boggs, owner of Meadowview Manor, accepted advance payments from residents and then failed to provide refunds to residents after suddenly closing the facility in Mifflin County in January, 2016.
Restitution will be paid by Meadowview Manor as part of the settlement to residents who pre-paid for room and board plus additional services for January 2016. Refunds provided to the 13 Pennsylvania consumers range from $2,000 to $3,300, depending on the consumers’ pre-payment. The restitution total amount is $35,471.
“When you assist your parents in finding a personal care home where they can live in peace and dignity, you should know they will be treated with respect — not asked to suddenly relocate and have their room-and-board payments withheld,” Attorney General Shapiro said. “These are seniors living on fixed incomes, and my office fought to protect their rights and get restitution for them.”
An investigation into Meadowview Manor, previously located in McVeytown, Mifflin County, began after the Office of Attorney General received a referral from the office of Pennsylvania Senator Jake Corman. In August, 2016, the Attorney General’s office filed a lawsuit in Mifflin County Court against Meadowview Manor. The settlement announced today is a result of that lawsuit.
One of the seniors impacted by this settlement, Stella Los, 86, and her family did not think they would ever see any of the money that was paid in advance to the personal care facility.
“When Meadowview Manor closed, residents like my great Aunt Stella received very little notice – which was traumatic and upsetting to her because she formed close bonds with the staff and liked the location near where she grew up,” said Cathy Bitting, who has power of attorney for her great aunt, Stella Los. “In addition to that stress, many families like ours had prepaid for January rent and services, which are costly in personal care. We thought we would never get our money back, but Attorney General Josh Shapiro fought for us. This settlement helps relieve some of the burden of my great Aunt’s displacement and returns her payment to its rightful owners.”
In addition to paying restitution, the settlement stipulates the following terms for Boggs and Meadowview Manor:
- They are not permitted to own or operate a personal care home in Pennsylvania.
- Both must comply with any and all provisions of the Pennsylvania Consumer Protection Law.
“If you believe you or a loved one has been victimized by a similar situation to the one in this case, contact my Health Care Section at www.attorneygeneral.gov or 877-888-4877,” Attorney General Shapiro said. “We want to hear from you, and we can help you.”
The settlement, in the form of a Consent Decree, was filed in Mifflin County Common Pleas Court by Deputy Attorney General Patrick Greene.
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