Lutheran Life Communities

My grandparents moved into the Wittenberg Village roughly eight years ago. My grandfather passed away nearly three years ago, and my grandmother, who has experienced significant cognitive decline, moved to another assisted living facility two years ago. It was not until my grandmother moved out that we reviewed the contract they had signed when they moved in. What we came to find out was seriously concerning. Wittenberg is a “buy-in” community, meaning that my grandparents paid a $300,000 “entrance fee” (in addition to $2000/month “service fee”) to reside in the community. They did not own the residence they lived in, nor, per the contract, were they “tenants.” The contract provides that 90% of the $300,000 entrance fee (notably without interest) is to be returned upon moving out once Wittenberg has found a new resident for the same home. Effectively, the contract gives Wittenberg massive leverage over the significant financial “entrance fee,” and even perversely incentivizes Wittenberg to delay finding new residents and reimbursing the “entrance fee.” It has now been two years and Wittenberg has not refunded the $270,000, despite having their employees reside in my grandparent’s old residence. When we inquired about employees residing in the residence, Wittenberg was extremely evasive, but ultimately confessed to having their director living in the residence. They still asserted they had no obligation to return the $270,000 entrance fee until they found a new resident, nor could they point to any reasonable efforts they’ve taken to find a new resident. While I can’t speak to how the medical/care staff are at Wittenberg, I can confidently say that Wittenberg’s management cares only about their bottom line, and their business model is highly deceptive. I would strongly recommend against this “buy-in” facility. To anyone considering Wittenberg, I would be happy to provide our experience if you reach out.