Avi, Bent Philipson Try to “Evacuate” Nursing Home Residents

Uncertainty hovers over the 588-unit Cold Spring Hills Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation as its owners Bent and Avi Philipson attempt an “emergency evacuation” of the facility.

The New York State Attorney General’s Office filed papers requesting a temporary restraining order to prevent the removal on Thursday, Newsday reported. The AG’s office also wants the facility to meet payroll obligations at Long Island’s second-largest nursing home.

The office argues the evacuation is “illegal” and puts the vulnerable at risk. Special Assistant Attorney General Christina Pinnola said there was no emergency at the facility and that the Philipsons could meet payroll obligations, but are refusing in order to prioritize “their financial interests.”

On Tuesday, the facility’s administrator warned staff that all personnel were being laid off and the facility was closing at the end of the year, citing “dire financial circumstances.” The administrator told staff the facility was “diligently attempting to reopen the facility under new ownership or postpone the closure.”

The nursing home owes more than $50 million to creditors and has struggled to pay its workers.

Bent owns the facility, while his son Avi is the managing member. The state AG’s office sued the nursing home two years ago, alleging the facility neglected resident care and ran afoul of state laws to enrich ownership; the lawsuit has since been settled, carrying a $2 million penalty against the facility.

One person found liable for neglect at Cold Spring Hills Center was Ben Landa, who recently sold a 183-bed nursing home facility at 22-41 New Haven Avenue in Far Rockaway, Queens for $47.3 million.

Among other claims linked to the temporary restraining order request, the AG’s office alleges ownership didn’t provide adequate closure notice to its employees — most of whom are unionized — and hasn’t filed a required closure plan with the state.

The state is considering Eliezer Jay Zelman, who owns several New York nursing homes, for the facility’s temporary receiver.
— Holden Walter-Warner