By Mary O’KEEFE

Residents may have noticed that the sign which once read “be.group” on the former property of the Twelve Oaks assisted living facility is gone. Some readers have contacted CVW asking what this means. The answer? Not much.

“We removed the be.group [sign] from the monument signs,” confirmed Dan Hutson, be.group vice president of Communications and Marketing.

Hutson explained the removal was just a natural evolution for the property.

“Our plans had never included to open [Twelve Oaks] to the community [again],” Hutson said.

The timing of the sign’s removal and the announcement of an agreement reached in a lawsuit between be.group and the National Charity League, Glendale is coincidental, according to Hutson.

Twelve Oaks was closed in August 2013 by the be.group, which had planned on selling the facility, but legal and community issues put a hold on any possible sale.

At the time of the closure, Twelve Oaks had about 50 residents. The unique assisted living facility offered cabin-like rooms surrounded by oak trees. For about 80 years, the facility had been a good neighbor and residents were concerned when they found out that the company was planning on selling the property.

There was also a question as to whether the be.group had the legal right to sell the property. The facility had been operated and managed by then-owners National Charity League, Glendale Chapter for years. Then the Southern California Presbyterian Homes (now known as be.group) was brought in to manage the property. After a few years of successful management, the NCL Glendale transferred ownership to the be.group.

Hutson stated the older facility would be too expensive to bring it up to be.group standards, so the decision was made to sell and the residents were told to vacate.

The decision raised concerns by both community members and NCL Glendale and in October 2013 the NCL Glendale filed a lawsuit alleging that be.group violated an agreement that Twelve Oaks exists “solely for charitable purposes.”

Last month a tentative agreement was reached.

“[NCL, Glendale] is pleased to have reached a settlement with be.group. However, a settlement has not been finalized and terms are confidential,” said Sarah Bartels Nagel, NCL, Glendale.

So although the signs are down, everything else remains the same at Twelve Oaks. The be.group has a live-in onsite person who maintains the property to make certain the upkeep of Twelve Oaks’ continues.

  Mary Okeefe