A local assisted living facility has been slapped with liens over unpaid taxes.
Lady Lake Senior Living, located on County Road 466, owes more than $36,000 in unpaid water and sewer bills to the Town of Lady Lake. But that unpaid bill appears to be the tip of the iceberg.
Lady Lake commissioners discussed the issue at their meeting Monday night at Town Hall.
Lady Lake Town Manager William Lawrence indicated that the town has tried to work with the facility, which offers assisted living and memory care. He said the town proposed setting up a payment plan with Lady Lake Senior Living, but those efforts have not been successful.
The facility also has other unpaid bills. The Internal Revenue Service and Lake County have put liens on the facility due to unpaid taxes.
One option that Lady Lake has is turning off the tap, but none of the commissioners appear ready to do that. Commissioners said that it would be the residents who would suffer if they suddenly couldn’t turn on a water faucet or flush toilets. The facility has 140 beds.
Commissioner John Gourlie said he fears for the residents living in the facility.
“The people that reside there may not be receiving the health care they deserve,” he said.
Commissioners pointed out that the owner of the facility is located in Brooklyn, N.Y. Monthly care plans at the facility start at $3,000.
In 2023, Lady Lake Senior Living ran afoul of the town’s code enforcement department when it was discovered that an emergency exit was found boarded over from the inside.