Mesa assisted living owners permanently barred after abuse settlement

The former owners of a Mesa assisted living center have been barred from caring for vulnerable adults in Arizona, the state attorney general's office announced.

By Brian Petersheim Jr.

MESA, AZ (AZFamily) — The owners of a long-embattled Mesa assisted living facility are permanently barred from caring for vulnerable adults, following an abuse and neglect settlement on Wednesday.

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office said the former Heritage Village Assisted Living, owned by Gary and Tracy Langendoen, didn’t do “the bare minimum” to make sure vulnerable adults in their care weren’t abused or neglected.

“This agreement ends strongly-contested claims without any admission of wrongdoing,” said Jennifer Wassermann, of Davis Miles, PLLC, attorneys for the defendants. “Regardless of the Attorney General’s self-serving statements in her press release on this topic, the health and safety of the employees and residents at Heritage Village have always been a high priority to the defendants”.

“We have always disputed the validity of the Attorney General’s claims, particularly after some of the assertions stated in their press releases were proven to be false based on incomplete and inaccurate information from the receiver’s office,” Gary Langendoen said. “Putting this litigation behind us allows these defendants, the dedicated employees and valued residents to move forward.”

Several residents had reportedly suffered violent attacks and sexual assaults by other residents, according to the attorney’s office. 

The Langendoens and any companies must divest from providing healthcare to vulnerable adults and pay $100,000 in civil penalties.

In 2024, Mayes asked the courts to step in and appoint someone to take over the facility rather than shut it down completely. It was the first time an attorney general has exercised that authority since the legislature added it to the Adult Protective Services Act in 1989.

“Although Heritage Village is gone forever, the facility itself is still going strong under new management,” said Attorney General Mayes. “My office has not received any consumer complaints about the former Heritage Village since the new owners took control.”

In early January, Mayes barred another East Valley assisted living facility from caring for adults for five years after a resident left the home and went unnoticed for 40 minutes before being found dead two days later.

Mayes asks anyone with information about elder care facilities endangering residents to contact her office. 

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Mesa assisted living owners permanently barred after abuse settlement