Finding senior living can be very costly.
Continuing care facilities can ask for more than $100,000 upfront as an entrance fee. Much of that can be refundable if you move out.
As we have reported, some residents of one Valley facility still can't get their money, even years after moving.
Barbara Taylor told Let Joe Know about her struggles trying to help her friend, Forrest Buck, get a refund from Sierra Winds Senior Living in Peoria.
Forrest expected a return of about $102,000 when he moved out.
"He thought he'd get something in about a year," Barbara explained.
Forrest moved out in 2018 and five years later, still no refund.
Janet Farnsworth told us she had the same issue with Sierra Winds.
"I thought within a year, I would get a check for my 90% back," she said.
Janet also put down a large entrance fee. She says when her husband died, she moved and expected a $193,000 refund.
Janet says three years later, she still couldn't get it.
When questioned, Sierra Winds pointed to their contract, which says: "no refunds given until the unit is sold and occupied."
It's something Barbara says Forrest thought was unfair.
"He would say, 'Barbara, I just don't think it's right they can use my money and I don't even know if they're really trying to sell my apartment unit or not,'" she said.
In Arizona, there is no law requiring a deadline for these refunds. But, that could soon change.
We took Forrest and Janet's concerns to state representative Matt Gress. This month, Gress introduced House Bill 2505. It's co-sponsored by 13 other House members.
The bill addresses life care contracts, stating entrance fee refunds in Arizona must be returned when residents move out "and the resident's former living unit is inhabited by a new resident... or within one year, whichever is shorter."
Barbara says a refund deadline just makes sense.
At the age of 98 and more than five years after moving from Sierra Winds, Forrest died, still waiting for that refund and for this proposed law he wanted to protect other seniors.
"I think Forrest would be thrilled," Barbara said.
With our help, Janet ended up getting her money back more than three years after moving out of Sierra Winds.
Representative Gress says HB 2505 must get assigned to a committee and be heard by the chairperson to stay alive.
Let your legislators know how you feel about HB 2505.
Click here to find your representative and their contact information.
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