WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A resident at Westgate Plaza, a 55-and-older living facility, said her landlord withdrew nearly $900 from her account without authorization, leaving her unable to pay bills just months after her husband's death.
WATCH BELOW: 'They took everything that I made for the month,' Martha Arguellas tells WPTV
Arguellas told WPTV's Investigative Reporter Dave Bohman she feels empty with no money left in her account after what she calls an unauthorized withdrawal by Royal American Management.
"I'm very scared," Arguellas said through her son, who translated.
The resident said since March, Royal American Management, the owners of Westgate Plaza, withdrew $338 a month, while the federal Section 8 program covered the rest of her rent. But on Oct. 1, records show the company withdrew $896, leaving her account empty.
"Because they took everything that I made for the month and now I think, 'How am I going to pay the bills?'" Arguellas said.
Arguellas is already struggling after her husband of 55 years died in August. Her son Jardiel Cepero contacted WPTV's investigative team asking for help.
"She doesn't like to depend on her children, and she wants to make up her payments on her own. So, it's really difficult for me to see her how much she's suffering," Cepero said.
When I reached out to Royal American Management, the company's senior vice-president emailed, “Our corporate team is looking into the matter.” Two days later, the SVP emailed, “We are currently processing a refund directly” to Arguellas.
Cepero said his mother felt relieved after our investigation.
"Once I called WPTV and you were involved, it's like everything worked fine," Cepero said. "I don't know what you did, but this good news happened after you got involved."
What we did was listen and press for answers. The vice-president of Royal American Management said the Palm Beach County Housing Authority was supposed to fix an adjustment that called for Section 8, and not the renter, to pay more.
Royal American said the problem has been resolved and Arguellas will soon be getting a check for $558. Because she is a widow, she will also get extra Section 8 credits and pay less in monthly rent.