The fate of one of the largest U.S. nursing home operators, HCR ManorCare, will reach a critical court deadline on Thursday in a battle over months of unpaid rent, a growing problem in an industry where eviction would put thousands of elderly out on the street, Reuters reported. In a lawsuit filed in August, HCR ManorCare’s landlord, Quality Care Properties Inc, said the chain owes more than $300 million in rent at its 292 skilled nursing and assisted living locations. ManorCare has until Oct. 18 to respond to the lawsuit Quality Care filed seeking to replace management with a court-appointed receiver who would oversee everything from laundry and meals to patient care at ManorCare’s facilities.
