Tenants, advocates, and now even elected officials are coming together to demand repairs to a Bronx building with an elevator outage.
The elevator outage in the 16-floor building couldn't come at a worse time as the city is grappling with a heat wave and extremely humid conditions.
For elderly residents unable to make the journey up and down the stairs, many have just been stuck in their apartments.
The rent-stabilized building at 480 East 188th Street has more than 500 open violations.
Senator Gustavo Rivera, Council Member Oswald Feliz, the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition and The Legal Aid Society held a press conference on Wednesday to condemn the landlords of their building.
"We cannot stand idly by while landlords neglect addressing the basic maintenance demands of tenants. Tenants at 480 E 188th Street have waited long enough for action while living in inhumane conditions that affect their physical and mental health, as well as their day-to-day security," said State Senator Gustavo Rivera of the 33rd district in the Bronx.
They say that the elevator outage is just one of the many problems plaguing them. Tenants say they have also grappled with other service outages and harassment for money they don't owe.
"There's no excuse, this is a landlord who collects rent from 960 units, he has the means and the experience - he should know how to make these repairs and has chosen not to," said attorney Zoe Kheyman with the Legal Aid Society. "For too long, these tenants have suffered deplorable conditions including leaks, vermin infestation, and frequent elevator outages, which are especially problematic, as they leave tenants vulnerable to heat-related injuries."
Of the violations, 147 are classified as "immediately hazardous." Those are supposed to be fixed by property owners within 24 hours of receiving the Notice of Violation.
"One elevator has not been working for well over a year, and I have called 311 everyday," said tenant Melanie Jackson. "If someone is sick and waiting for an ambulance, they can't get the help they need. We desperately need help. We cannot wait for a tragedy for the landlord to be accountable."
Tenants say they want the Fordham Fulton Realty Corp. to complete necessary repairs to the elevator and individual apartments, hire a management company, and qualify security for the building.
Tenants also called on the state legislature to pass the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act.
"Landlords are accumulating units they have no capacity to maintain," said tenant Ahshaki Long. "With the passage of TOPA, tenants would have a pathway to instate responsible management companies and end the vicious cycle of handing off buildings from one predatory landlord to another. Tenants should be at the helm of the conversation when their buildings are being sold and have a seat at the negotiating table."
"Tenants deserve to live in safe apartments, free from conditions such as lack of heating and hot water," said Oswald Feliz, New York City Council Member for District 15. "I'm shocked by the amount of housing code violations that continue to exist in this building. We will work with every city agency to hold this landlord accountable."
The Legal Aid Society said both their lawyers and the city's lawyers have taken the landlords to court over issues at the owners' 12 buildings. They are now asking the judge to take a closer look at the violations and issue civil penalties for not making repairs.
NYC Department of Buildings said that they are aware of the issue and were on the scene back on Monday due to 311 complaints about the elevator. Inspectors found one of two elevators out of service. They issued a violation to the landlord for failure to maintain the elevator.
Earlier this week, Eyewitness News spoke to similarly frustrated tenants of a building on E. 179th Street that also had a broken elevator .
New York Law requires every building with five or more floors to have a working elevator.
Eyewitness News reached out to Fordham Fulton Realty for a response.
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