The elevator has been out of service for nearly a year, making Minerva Burgos a prisoner in her own home. She's a diabetic with a heart condition and asthma. She rarely climbs these stairs to her apartment.
"Sometimes I have to!" Burgos told us, "Try little by little because I have an appointment, or sometimes I have to miss the appointment because I can't take it.
The building is now on the city's list of the top ten worst offenders, where residents are forced to deal with chronically defective elevators.
"We took landlords to housing and to criminal court," said Patricia Lancaster, the city's department of buildings commissioner. "And I'm proud to say the program has been very successful. We have a 70 percent cure rate to the elevators consistently out of service.
The city says it'll follow up with landlords to make sure that people like Minerva Burgos have access to the services they are supposed to have by law.
Here's a list of the top offenders, and a link to the New York City's Department of Buildings.
4441 Broadway, Manhattan. This is a 6-story residential building with approximately 26 units serviced by a single elevator. The Buildings Department has received 41 elevator-related complaints and issued 34 violations for elevator problems, including sensor and mechanical defects that allow the basement door to open while the car is at upper floors or moving.
34-15 Parsons Blvd, Queens. This is a 6-story residential building with approximately 175 units serviced by three elevators. The Buildings Department has received 86 elevator-related complaints and issued 57 violations for elevator problems, including improper relays on the controllers and cars that fail to properly level at stops.
975 Walton Ave, Bronx. This is a 6-story residential building with approximately 181 units serviced by four elevators. The Buildings Department has received 75 elevator-related complaints and issued 50 violations for elevator problems, including worn guide shoes and brakes.
100 E. 92nd St, Brooklyn. This is a 6-story residential building with approximately 61 units serviced by a single elevator. The Buildings Department has received 29 elevator-related complaints and issued 9 violations for elevator problems, including improper fuses and worn door gibs on hoistway doors.
1 Haven Plaza, Manhattan. This is a 27-story residential building with approximately 150 units serviced by two elevators. The Buildings Department has received 108 elevator-related complaints and issued 31 violations for elevator problems, including failing to have either device in service and operating the devices with improperly fused controllers.
3971 Gouverneur Ave, Bronx. This is a 6-story residential building with approximately 67 units serviced by a single elevator. The Buildings Department has received 40 elevator-related complaints and issued 6 violations for elevator problems, including failing to have the device in service and damaged governor ropes.
1314 Seneca Ave, Bronx. This is a 6-story residential building with approximately 60 units serviced by a single elevator. The Buildings Department has received 24 elevator-related complaints and issued 16 violations for elevator problems, including failing to have the device in service and slamming car doors.
2021 & 2023 Davidson Ave, Bronx. This is a 5-story residential building with approximately 90 units serviced by a two elevators. The Buildings Department has received 16 elevator-related complaints and issued 11 violations for elevator problems, including failing to have the device in service and an inoperative safety edge.
1985 & 1987 Davidson Ave, Bronx. This is a 5-story residential building with approximately 90 units serviced by two elevators. The Buildings Department has received 9 elevator-related complaints in the past three months and issued 12 violations for elevator problems, including failing to have the device in service and failing to perform required periodic tests.
1995 & 1997 Davidson Ave, Bronx. This is a 5-story residential building with approximately 100 units serviced by two elevators. The Buildings Department has received 7 elevator-related complaints and issued 11 violations for elevator problems, including failing to have the device in service.
