Nursing Home Facing $100K Tax Debt Set for Auction After Resident’s Cold-Weather Death

Windsor Locks, CT — The owner of the nursing home where a 93-year-old resident died after wandering out into the freezing early-morning cold now faces a separate and escalating financial issue: more than $100,000 in unpaid municipal taxes and an upcoming public auction of the property.

Records show that the property housing the Bickford Health Care Center at 14 Main Street and a nearby house belonging to the same company, Newport Bickford Inc., are both listed on the Connecticut Tax Sales website for a tax sale scheduled for April 23, 2026. The notice says municipal taxes owed through January 31 total about $105,292.96. If that amount — plus accrued interest and fees — isn’t paid before the auction date, the sale will go forward.

The auction listing — part of a regularly updated set of delinquent properties as required under state law — reflects the town’s effort to collect the overdue debt through a public sale if necessary.

This financial pressure comes amid heightened scrutiny of the nursing home’s operations after a 93-year-old woman wandered out of the facility in bitterly cold weather and later was found dead, an incident that has prompted investigations by police and the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

Charitable Status Denied

Town officials previously reviewed Newport Bickford’s claim to tax-exempt status but concluded that the company does not qualify as a charitable organization for municipal tax purposes — a determination the company has not formally appealed. As a result, the property remains fully subject to local taxation.

Uncertain Future for Facility

If the outstanding debt isn’t paid and the sale proceeds, ownership of the nursing home property could change hands, raising unanswered questions about the future of the facility and the care of its residents. Town officials have not publicly stated how — or if — the planned auction would affect ongoing operations.