Bronx apartment designated for people with disabilities has had broken elevator for weeks
BRONX, New York (WABC) -- An apartment building designated for people with disabilities in the Bronx has had a broken elevator for six weeks and some residents have been trapped in their apartments with no hope for a solution.
The broken elevator at 1310 Morris Ave. in the Bronx has presented serious challenges for residents and their families.
"There's a lady that lives on the third floor, she has a manual wheelchair, she has to leave it down the steps, she cannot walk. How are people managing without an elevator? I don't know but I know I cannot manage," said resident Dawn Carroll.
Carroll lives in the building with her daughter Justina, who has mild Cerebral Palsy and can't walk safely on her own without a little help. Carroll said going up and down the stairs even to the second floor is hard.
Justina has an electric wheelchair that was damaged while attempting to get it downstairs with a makeshift ramp.
They stash her wheelchair in a neighbor's first-floor apartment while they wait for the day the elevator works again.
"It doesn't even have an out-of-order sign. You push the button, but nothing happens. And it's been this way since late June," Carroll said.
The City Department of Buildings has received at least 11 complaints since then and says the building failed an inspection for failing to have a working elevator.
Penalties for the landlords will be determined at an upcoming court hearing.
In the meantime, the department has ordered the landlords to restore service.
The building management company has told residents it's waiting for a part to fix the elevator, and that it ships from another state, but not from another country.
Eyewitness News reached out to building management for answers. There's no word on what's taking so long.
Eyewitness News also tried to speak to other residents but they were afraid to speak out publicly.
DOB inspectors were on scene at 1310 Morris Ave., Bronx, on August 1, 2024 to conduct an inspection of the elevator in response to multiple 311 complaints made by members of the public.
During this inspection, inspectors found that the single elevator serving the residential building was out of service.
As a result, DOB issued an OATH summons to the landlords for their failure to maintain the elevator.
A hearing for this summons has been scheduled at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings on October 18, where the violation will be adjudicated by an OATH judge.
DOB has also issued an order to the landlords to immediately take steps to restore the elevator device to safe working service for the benefit of the residents in the building.
DOB's elevator unit will be following up with the landlord's contracted elevator maintenance company to get an update on the timeline for repairs.
If the landlords fail to make the necessary repairs to the elevator, they will face additional enforcement actions.
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