Troubled seniors home likely to close

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2004 | 11:25 a.m.

The Bel Aire West apartments, which have been operating in Las Vegas for eight months on an expired business license, are expected to close today, and the 34 senior citizens who have been living there are scrambling to find new homes, authorities said this morning.

The people who live at the complex -- some of whom are in their 90s and in wheelchairs -- were left in a lurch Tuesday night when most of the staff walked out over a pay dispute.

Gina Olivares, a spokeswoman for the county, said the state Bureau of Licensure Certification was on site Wednesday following news accounts of the walk-out to assess the needs of the residents. She said three elderly residents were found to be in need of assisted living and were sent to area senior care facilities.

Telisa Clevenger-Smith, a spokeswoman for Willow Creek assisted living centers, which went to a facility with a crew to assist the residents after the walkout, said that on Wednesday a furniture company official came to collect the furnishings of the building and residents' rooms, claiming he was owed $35,000.

She said the man agreed to temporarily hold off on that action so as not to further inconvenience the residents.

It was not clear this morning who was responsible for the problems at Bel Aire West, which is located at 8630 W. Nevso Drive off of South Durango Drive.

Jan Jones, who identified herself as a management representative of Bel Aire West and an advisor to J & S Development, said that company has been in the process of buying the facility from a company called Senior Congregate Facility.

The Secretary of State's website incorporation records show Senior Congregate Facility as being a Colorado limited liability company formed in October 1998. It lists as its sole officer Kenneth E. Richardson of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Bel Aire West residents on Wednesday identified a Ken Richardson as a former owner of the place.

Clark County spokesman Erik Pappa said the county is trying to sort all of that out and also is looking into whether the business operated as anything but apartment homes, which is all that it was license for.

Bel Aire West might have been operating as a hotel, which also would have been in violation of its business license.

Olivares said she has been to a few websites on the Internet where Bel Aire West is touted as a hotel with luxury rooms and gourmet food.

"We are in the process today of determining how much is owed the county in unpaid fees," Olivares said. "The out-of-state owners are expected to arrive in town today to announce closure of the facility."