AG files suit against defunct Mifflin County personal care home

One lone review of Meadowview Manor pops up on an internet website.

“Meadowview is the best place for your loved one!” said an anonymous Caring.com user in 2011.

Bruce Beemer doesn’t seem to agree.

The new Pennsylvania attorney general has made a civil lawsuit against the now defunct Mifflin County personal care home one of his early actions after taking over the office last week.

In a release about the suit Thursday, the Office of Attorney General claimed Meadowview Manor Services LLC, Empowered Investment Group LLC and owner Michael W. Boggs engaged in unlawful and deceptive business practices.

The suit was filed by both the OAG’s Bureau of Consumer Protection and Health Care Section, and accuses the defendants of violations of the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law.

According to the OAG, the McVeytown personal care home started to have financial difficulties in 2015, leading to lapsed insurance policies and unpaid food vendors.

Ultimately, the doors closed after a Jan. 4 inspection found the heating system to have expired certifications.

The inspection was allegedly prompted by safety concerns staff members reported to the Mifflin County Area Agency on Aging.

More than 30 people aged 60 or older called Meadowview Manor home. They were relocated after the closure, but the OAG says that they did not receive refunds for their January payments.

“Meadowview Manor and Boggs were allegedly in violation of numerous state Department of Human Services regulations,” the OAG statement said. “Additionally, the lawsuit asserts that Meadowview Manor and Boggs failed to maintain the facility in a safe and sanitary manner in violation of state law. In accordance with Pennsylvania case law, the defendants had a duty to provide residents heat in cold weather, a working sewer system, safe, working electrical systems, working smoke detectors and a safe, sanitary structure.”

The suit asks for restitution and civil penalties. For those senior citizen residents, that could mean $3,000 apiece, or more than $90,000.

Beemer credited state Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Benner Township, with prompting the investigation.

The OAG is asking for anyone with complaints about Meadowview to visit www.attorneygeneral.gov or call 800-441-2555 or 877-888-4877.

This story was originally published September 8, 2016 at 6:34 PM with the headline "AG files suit against defunct Mifflin County personal care home."