Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Homestead Default topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sussex County votes to send default notice to Homestead nursing home over unpaid SOAR payments
Summary
Sussex County commissioners approved a request from county counsel to send a notice of default to the Homestead nursing home over unpaid quarterly SOAR payments and warned that continued nonpayment could lead to termination of the facility's agreement with the county.
The Sussex County Board of County Commissioners approved a motion authorizing county counsel to send a notice of default to the Homestead nursing home after officials said the facility is in default on required quarterly SOAR payments.
County counsel told the board the Homestead has not brought its account current under its existing agreement with the county and asked for the commissioners' consent to send a letter warning that continued default could lead to termination of the agreement. "The Homestead is in default of that agreement. I'm asking for the commissioner's approval to send a letter advising them that they are in default and threatening them with a breach in the event they don't bring themselves current," counsel said.
A motion to send the letter was made and seconded; Commissioner Henderson seconded the motion on the record and the board voted to approve sending the letter.
During public comment, residents expressed concern for nursing-home residents and for local services that depend on Medicaid and other federal funding. Sheldon Allen of Hardyston said he did not know whether the Homestead is privately owned but added that "a lot of the people in there are Medicaid recipients" and that he would "hate to see it disappear." Susan Bassett of Sandisfield identified herself as the daughter of a Homestead resident and asked, "They're quarterly SOAR payments? ... What is your plan in the event that the orange 1 cancels Medicaid?" She described her mother's medical needs and said she could not provide long-term in-home care alone.
The board did not discuss detailed contingency plans on the record at the meeting. Commissioners approved county counsel's request to send the default notice and directed counsel to prepare and send the letter the following day.
No specific repayment plan, timeline for cure, or follow-up enforcement steps were listed on the record; county counsel said the letter would advise the facility to bring payments current or face potential breach/termination of the agreement.
