Milwaukee Family Receives $200,000 Refund from Senior Living Community After Years-Long Wait

The Martin family finally got their entrance fee refund from St. Camillus after their mother's passing in 2023.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 2:41am

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An abstract, impressionistic photograph in soft, warm colors depicting an elderly couple sitting on a bench, their forms blurred and indistinct against a hazy background, conveying a sense of the emotional experience of navigating the senior living system.The Martin family's long wait for a refund from their parents' senior living community highlights the need for greater transparency in the industry.Today in Milwaukee

After waiting over two-and-a-half years, a Milwaukee-area family has finally received a refund of nearly $200,000 from the St. Camillus senior living community following their mother's death in 2023. The parents had signed a contract in 2008 that promised a refund of their entrance fee, but the community said it could only be issued after the apartment was re-rented, a common but risky policy in the senior living industry.

Why it matters

This case highlights the challenges families can face when trying to recoup entrance fees from senior living communities, which often have complex contract terms that can delay or prevent refunds even after a resident's passing. It raises questions about transparency and consumer protections in the senior housing market.

The details

In 2008, Robert and Rena Martin moved into St. Camillus, a faith-based non-profit senior living community in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Their residency agreement included terms for a refund of their $199,900 entrance fee after their deaths. Robert Martin died one year after moving in, and his wife Rena passed away 14 years later in 2023. The Martin's daughter, Debbie Ricciardi, said her family waited over two-and-a-half years to receive the refund, which they planned to use to support two family members with significant disabilities. Ricciardi said St. Camillus stopped communicating with her after her first story about the refund delay aired on FOX6 News in October. But in early 2026, Ricciardi received a call that her parents' unit had finally been re-rented, and the family received their full refund.

  • Robert Martin died one year after moving into St. Camillus in 2008.
  • Rena Martin passed away in 2023, 14 years after her husband.
  • Debbie Ricciardi first spoke to Contact 6 about the refund delay in the fall of 2025.
  • Ricciardi received the full $199,900 refund check in early 2026, about two months before speaking to Contact 6 again in late March.

The players

Robert and Rena Martin

A Milwaukee-area couple who moved into St. Camillus senior living community in 2008 and whose entrance fee refund was delayed for over two years after Rena's death in 2023.

Debbie Ricciardi

The Martin's daughter who advocated for her family to receive the $199,900 entrance fee refund owed to them after her parents' passing.

St. Camillus

A faith-based non-profit senior living community in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin that has a four-star rating on Charity Navigator and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Carol Wessels

An elder law attorney at Wessels and Liebau who commented that the entrance fee refund policy at St. Camillus, where refunds are only issued after a unit is re-rented, is not uncommon but raises concerns about guarantees for families.

LeadingAge Wisconsin

A membership association for nonprofit corporations serving aging adults that explained how entrance fees at Life Plan Communities like St. Camillus support housing, amenities, staffing, and healthcare services.

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What they’re saying

“My parents would have been so upset.”

— Debbie Ricciardi, Daughter of Robert and Rena Martin

“I'm from a big family with seven children. Two of our family members have significant disabilities.”

— Debbie Ricciardi, Daughter of Robert and Rena Martin

“Once of the most concerning parts of that contract is when they say, 'you'll get it back after we re-rent it.' In that case, there's no guarantee families will get their money back.”

— Carol Wessels, Elder Law Attorney

What’s next

The Martin family plans to use the $199,900 refund to support two family members with significant disabilities.

The takeaway

This case highlights the need for greater transparency and consumer protections in the senior living industry, where complex contract terms can delay or prevent families from recouping entrance fees even after a resident's passing. It underscores the importance of carefully reviewing all contract details before moving a loved one into a senior community.