Hello,
I'm running Essentials Plus so I have a three host limit. My VSphere is 5.5a running on the appliance. I have installed and configured a new Host, and had removed all the VMs from the old host when it died. Permanently.
OK, lucky timing 
but now I want to add my new host to my vcenter and I'm unable to do so because the dead host is blocking one of my three host licenses. I know that I'm meant to put the old host into maintenance mode, then remove it but it currently sits there "disconnected" and of course there's no way to re-connect since the hardware is actually dead.
Could someone tell me the best way forward?
thank you very much in advance,
Morat