FESTUS, Mo. – Jessica Stewart filed her taxes April first, expecting to get about an $8,000 refund.
“Since then, I’ve just received letters. They need 30 more days, 30 more days,” she said.
Stewart showed FOX 2 News multiple letters from the IRS explaining a hold on her tax refund. One said it needs to verify more information about her income and taxes for 2023. That is when she worked for a nursing home, Superior Manor of Festus. Her daughter, Natalie Stewart, also worked there in 2023 and has the same problem.
“I’m just struggling to make my car payment, keep up with my insurance, phone bill, gas just to get to work and back, so that money could help me get ahead on my bills,” Natalie said.
FOX 2 has spoken with four former employees who claim they are having the same delays, and they question if Superior Manor of Festus correctly reported their wages.
“We have followed up with the IRS to make sure we have turned in everything we are supposed to turn into them so that the employees can get their tax returns, and as far as we can see, we’ve done that,” Superior Manor of Festus administrator Holly Neff said.
As this plays out, employees say the U.S. Dept. of Labor (DOL) showed up for an investigation earlier this month.
“We don’t know specifically what the complaints were. They just tell us that they’re coming in for an investigation and they ask us for certain information,” Neff said. “We were cooperative with the investigation, and we’ve turned over all the information that they requested.”
The DOL confirmed that the Wages division has an open investigation, but it will not release more information on what that investigation is about.
In a civil lawsuit filed last year, this nursing home and a second nursing home owned by the same person were accused of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act for violating overtime pay regulations.
The judgement in that case says that the “defendants did not file an answer or otherwise respond to the complaint.” The judge issued a default judgement in favor of current and former employees for damages in the amount of $69,000. That was in April, but the court still has not been able to execute the judgement.
With these other investigations, the Stewarts still do not know when they will get their tax issues resolved.
“I have a 5-year-old in school and clothes and food especially. You know the cost of food nowadays. So, it’s very important,” Jessica said.
FOX 2 left a message at a number we believe belongs to Winbush and have not heard back.
