Hammer Residences: Ownership, Violations, and Lawsuits
Michael Hill and the team at Michael Hill Trial Law investigate abuse, neglect, and wrongful-death cases involving group homes and intermediate care facilities (ICF/IIDs), and we represent families nationwide. The firm focuses on neglect and abuse in group homes, ICF/IIDs, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. Hammer Residences is a nonprofit, headquartered in Wayzata, Minnesota, that provides group-home and other residential services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It operates roughly 59 licensed sites across Minnesota.
If someone you love was injured or died in a group home or ICF operated by Hammer Residences or one of its brands, you may have legal options, and time limits can be short. Case reviews are free and confidential. Start your case or call (800) 659-2712.
Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Ownership and financial figures are drawn from public filings, state and federal records, and news reporting; regulatory and lawsuit items are from government records and court filings, each cited at the end of this page. Lawsuits and criminal charges are allegations unless a court has ruled; state findings may be appealed.
Group Home & ICF/IID Case Types We Handle
The injuries and neglect we investigate in group homes and intermediate care facilities.
Hammer Residences at a Glance
- Legal name: Hammer Residences, Inc.
- Headquarters: Wayzata, Minnesota
- Founded: 1923
- Ownership: Nonprofit
- Scale: Roughly 59 licensed residential sites, including ICF/DD and community residential settings, in Minnesota
- Revenue: $44.1M (fiscal year 2024)
- Brands: Hammer Residences; Northeast Residence (merged)
- Headline issues: Minnesota DHS serious-maltreatment finding over dental neglect; a 2026 substantiated abuse finding; multiple fines
Group homes and ICF/IIDs are licensed and inspected mainly by the states and, for ICF/IIDs, by federal CMS — there is no federal five-star rating like the one for nursing homes. Counts below are from public records and are not a complete litigation history; they do not by themselves indicate the quality of any individual home.
What Group Homes and ICF/IIDs Are — and Why Harm Happens
A group home is a residential setting where a small number of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) live together with staff support. An intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID) is a federally certified, Medicaid-funded facility that must meet federal standards for active treatment, health care, and client protections. Many residents cannot fully protect themselves or reliably report what happens to them, which is exactly why staffing, supervision, and training decide whether people are safe.
The injuries that recur in these settings are rarely mysterious. They include falls and fractures; bedsores and pressure injuries; choking on the wrong diet texture; dehydration, malnutrition, and bowel obstruction and fecal impaction; medication errors; wandering and elopement; physical or sexual assault by staff or other residents; and, in the worst cases, wrongful death. The common thread is understaffing — a home that accepts residents it is not staffed or trained to care for makes the harm foreseeable.
Who Owns Hammer Residences?
Hammer Residences is a nonprofit founded in 1923 and based in Wayzata, Minnesota. It is governed by a volunteer board and merged with the nonprofit Northeast Residence (acquired January 2021) by January 2023. It reported revenue of $44.1 million in fiscal 2024 and a net loss of about $5.3 million.
Hammer is not owned by private equity. A planned 2026 merger with Living Well Disability Services was dropped in August 2025, with the boards citing an unstable funding environment and changes to state and federal Medicaid funding.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1923 | Hammer Residences founded |
| Jan. 2021 | Acquires Northeast Residence; fully merged by January 2023 |
| Oct. 2023 | Minnesota DHS issues a serious-maltreatment determination and $8,000 fine over dental neglect |
| Aug. 2025 | Planned merger with Living Well Disability Services called off |
| July 2026 | Matt Buley becomes CEO as John Estrem retires |
Revenue, Public Funding, and Finances
Revenue grew from $31.2 million in 2021 to $44.1 million in 2024, but net results fell from surpluses in 2021-2022 to a $5.26 million loss in 2024. Program-service revenue, predominantly funded by Medical Assistance (Medicaid) for waiver and ICF services, made up about 91% of 2024 revenue. A 2026 CEO search advertised a salary range of $260,000 to $290,000 plus benefits.
Hammer Residences Leadership
Matt Buley became CEO in July 2026, succeeding John Estrem, who retired after 14 years. Mitch Ringe chairs the board.
Hammer Residences Brand Names and the Entity on the License
The name on a state license, inspection report, or court filing is often a subsidiary or brand. Families searching state records should look for these names:
| Family | Names you may see |
|---|---|
| Hammer Residences, Inc. | ['Hammer Wentworth', 'Hammer Black Oaks', 'Hammer Tyler', 'Hammer Michaele ICF', 'Northeast Residence (merged)'] |
Where Hammer Residences Operates
Hammer operates roughly 59 licensed residential sites across Minnesota, including ICF/DD homes and community residential settings. Named homes in state records include Hammer Wentworth (Minnetonka), Hammer Black Oaks and Hammer Tyler (Plymouth), and the Hammer Michaele ICF.
Hammer Residences Lawsuits, Government Findings, and Regulatory Record
Minnesota DHS licensing records document a series of maltreatment reviews at Hammer homes. The most serious is an October 2023 facility-level determination of neglect, including serious maltreatment of a resident who went three years without dental care and then had all of his or her teeth extracted, drawing an $8,000 fine. A 2026 memo substantiated recurring physical abuse and neglect by a staff person. Several other memos, including a necrotizing-fasciitis positioning injury and a fall causing a fractured femur, were marked inconclusive, with Hammer's internal reviews finding procedures were not followed. No lawsuits or criminal cases against Hammer were found.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Serious maltreatment determinations | 1 |
| Substantiated findings | 1 |
| Inconclusive memos | 4 |
| State fines | 3 |
This is not a complete litigation history, and the existence of a lawsuit or complaint is not proof of wrongdoing. A settlement is not an admission of liability. Findings by state agencies may be appealed.
Notable matters
- 2023 — State maltreatment determination (facility responsible) with fine: Minnesota DHS serious-maltreatment finding over dental neglect ($8,000 fine). In October 2023, the Minnesota Department of Human Services found Hammer responsible as a facility for neglect of four vulnerable adults through lapses in dental care. For one adult, the finding was serious maltreatment: the person was not seen by a dentist for three years and then required extraction of all of his or her teeth. DHS imposed an $8,000 fine and cited related training violations. Amount: $8,000. Source
- 2026 — State maltreatment substantiation (individual responsible): Substantiated recurring physical abuse and neglect (Hammer Wentworth, Minnetonka). In an April 2026 memo, Minnesota DHS substantiated recurring physical abuse and neglect of two vulnerable adults by a staff person between October and December 2025, including grabbing, choking, smacking and pushing. The finding held the individual staff person, not the facility, responsible, and no injuries were reported. Source
- 2024 — State maltreatment review (inconclusive) with fine: Background-study violations fine (St. Paul). In May 2024, DHS issued a $600 fine because three former Northeast Residence staff were never background-studied under Hammer's license, alongside an inconclusive maltreatment memo involving a vulnerable adult with multiple bruises. Amount: $600. Source
- 2025 — State maltreatment review (inconclusive) with fine and correction order: Background-study fine and correction order (Roseville). In December 2025, DHS issued a $400 fine for two background-study violations and a correction order for withholding a consumer's possessions, alongside an inconclusive emotional-abuse memo. Amount: $400. Source
- 2024 — State maltreatment review (inconclusive): Positioning injury and necrotizing fasciitis (Hammer Tyler, Plymouth). A February 2024 DHS memo recorded that a vulnerable adult put to bed with a hand beneath them developed severe blisters and necrotizing fasciitis in 2023, requiring two surgeries. The maltreatment finding was inconclusive; Hammer's internal review found staff did not reposition the adult every two hours. Source
- 2024 — State maltreatment review (inconclusive): Fall and fractured femur (Hammer Black Oaks, Plymouth). A December 2024 DHS memo recorded that a staff person did not use a Hoyer lift and a vulnerable adult ended up on the floor and was hospitalized with a fractured right femur. The maltreatment finding was inconclusive; Hammer's internal review found procedures were not followed. Source
Complaint and Harm Types in the Hammer Residences Record
Across the public records reviewed, these are the kinds of harm that recur — the same kinds our firm investigates in group homes and ICF/IIDs. If your loved one experienced any of these, it may support a claim:
Who May Be Legally Responsible
Because Hammer Residences operates through separate state entities and brands — and because the parent company, the licensed operator, the employer of the staff, and in some cases the property owner may be different companies — a lawsuit may need to name more than one defendant. Names that have appeared in records involving these homes include:
- Hammer Residences, Inc.
- Northeast Residence Inc.
- Hammer Wentworth
- Hammer Tyler
- Hammer Black Oaks
What to Do If You Suspect Neglect or Abuse in a Group Home or ICF
- Get medical care. Call 911 or go to the hospital for any serious injury, sudden decline, or unexplained bruising, fracture, or weight loss.
- Report it. Notify the home’s administrator in writing, the state or county developmental disabilities agency that receives incident reports, adult protective services, and law enforcement for any suspected crime.
- Find the licensed entity. Ask for the license or check your state’s provider lookup; the company on the license is often a state subsidiary or brand name rather than the parent company.
- Document everything. Take photos, write down dates, times, and names, and save texts and emails.
- Request records. Ask for incident reports, the individual service or program plan, medication administration records, and staffing schedules. Guardians and authorized representatives usually have access rights.
- Be careful with statements and documents. Do not give recorded statements to insurers or sign releases or arbitration agreements before talking to a lawyer. Deadlines can be short.
Why Families Bring Group Home and ICF Cases to Michael Hill Trial Law
These cases are won by lawyers who try them. Michael Hill and the team at Michael Hill Trial Law focus on neglect and abuse in group homes, ICF/IIDs, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities, and the firm has obtained record results, including $26 million, the highest recorded verdict against a nursing home in Ohio history. The firm’s main office is in Cleveland, Ohio; it practices nationwide, its attorneys are licensed in numerous states, and it works with affiliate firms across the country. The review is free, and you owe nothing unless we recover for you.
Start your free, confidential case review | Call (800) 659-2712
Frequently Asked Questions About Hammer Residences
Who owns Hammer Residences?
Hammer Residences is a nonprofit founded in 1923 and based in Wayzata, Minnesota. It is not owned by private equity. It merged with the nonprofit Northeast Residence by January 2023.
What maltreatment findings has Hammer had?
Minnesota DHS found Hammer responsible as a facility for dental-care neglect of four vulnerable adults in October 2023, including serious maltreatment of one resident who required all his or her teeth to be extracted, with an $8,000 fine. In April 2026, DHS substantiated recurring physical abuse and neglect by a staff person.
Has Hammer been fined?
Yes. State records show an $8,000 fine in 2023 tied to the dental-neglect determination, a $600 fine in 2024 and a $400 fine in 2025, the latter two for background-study violations.
Have there been lawsuits against Hammer?
No reported lawsuits or criminal cases against Hammer Residences or Northeast Residence were found in this review.
Can I sue a group home or ICF operator for neglect or abuse?
Generally, families may bring civil claims against a group home or ICF operator when neglect or abuse causes injury or death, and the parent company and the licensed entity may both be proper defendants. Deadlines, damage rules, and required pre-suit steps vary by state, and arbitration clauses and Medicaid liens can matter. A lawyer licensed in your state can explain your options. Michael Hill Trial Law offers free, confidential case reviews for families nationwide.
Who is legally responsible when someone is harmed in a group home?
Often more than one company. These operators frequently run each home through a separate local entity that holds the license, while the building may be owned by another company and staff employed by a third; for-profit owners and investors can sit above all of them. The right defendants depend on who held the license, who employed the staff, who managed care, and who owned the property at the time of the harm.
What if we signed an arbitration agreement?
Courts do not always enforce these arbitration clauses. Whether one applies depends on who signed it, the authority that person had, and the state's law. Keep a copy of everything you signed and have a lawyer review it before assuming you cannot bring a claim.
How do I check a group home or ICF's inspection and complaint record?
Group homes are licensed and inspected mainly by state developmental-disabilities and health agencies; ICF/IIDs are also certified and inspected under federal CMS rules. Use the state agency's provider lookup for the state where the home is located, and ask the agency for inspection reports and substantiated complaints.
About Michael Hill Trial Law
Michael Hill Trial Law represents families in group home, ICF/IID, nursing home, and assisted living abuse and neglect cases. The firm’s main office is in Cleveland, Ohio; it practices across the country, its attorneys are licensed in numerous states, and it works with affiliate firms throughout the United States. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for clients, including a $26 million jury verdict for wrongful death, the highest nursing home verdict in Ohio history. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Learn more about group home and ICF/IID neglect cases, wrongful death, and physical and sexual assault, or meet our team.
Sources
Information on this page comes from government records, court filings, regulatory reports, company statements, and news reports, linked below. Lawsuits and criminal charges are allegations unless a court has ruled. Findings by state agencies may be subject to appeal.
- Hammer Residences IRS Form 990 (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer)
- Minnesota DHS Licensing Lookup (license 1071279)
- Hammer Residences history (official site)
- Hammer-NER names new CEO (official site)
- Living Well merger discontinued (board notice)
- CEO position profile (Cohen Taylor)
- Northeast Residence IRS Form 990 (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer)
This page provides general information about a company that operates group homes and intermediate care facilities. It is not legal advice and does not mean that any particular home or employee did anything wrong. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Last reviewed November 12, 2026.
