A Sussex County health care facility that has been the subject of state investigation for allegedly mistreating patients has officially closed. There is now an effort to try to help the small town that facility was in to recover financially.

The Andover Subacute Rehab Center had been rebranded as the Woodland Behavioral and Nursing Center. It officially closed in August.

Francesca Veen, of Vernon, says she was so happy to learn that the facility shut down. Her grandmother who was nearly 90 years old died at the facility from a staph infection from an untreated bed sore in 2020. The facility has been accused of mistreating patients, even creating a makeshift morgue to keep 17 bodies of patients.

“And they didn’t even let us talk to the residents or anybody. We didn’t even know if they were dead or not. I didn’t even know she was dead or not. There are times I think about her and I just break down because of how she died,” says Veen.

But the facility was also the single largest source of revenue for Andover Township. Democratic Rep. Jos Gottheimer says that the landlord for the facility has not paid taxes on the land.

“They should pay their bills. No excuses. Can't just stop paying your bills because you didn't feel like it,” he says.

Gottheimer is asking the state to step in with emergency stabilizing economic assistance. Gottheimer says the backup plan would be to have the state dip into the $6 billion from the American Rescue Plan for unexpected COVID-19-related expenses allowed by Congress.

"I can't think of a better reason for the state to dip into these resources than to ensure that Andover Township can continue to provide essential and emergency services for its residents in the face of a sudden unfortunate pandemic-related change in town revenue,” Gottheimer says.

The property is owned by Alliance or BNJD Property. News 12 has tried to get in touch with the owners, but was unsuccessful.