Seniors: Elevator issues at apartment complex has trapped them in their homes

Residents say elevator issues at their senior apartment complex in Hempstead are trapping them in their homes.

News 12 Staff

Jul 16, 2019, 4:48 PM

Updated 1,753 days ago

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Residents say elevator issues at their senior apartment complex in Hempstead are trapping them in their homes.
The seniors at 400 Fulton Ave. say the elevators in their complex barely work. Resident Mary Scott, 77, says one of the two elevators in the building has been out of service for months.
Scott also says the other breaks just about every day, leaving senior or disabled residents stranded in their apartments for hours or days at a time.
Residents say the building's owner, AD Real Estate Investors, knows there is a problem but has done little to rectify it. Scott's daughter, Paula Jackson, says she's worried about what will happen if a resident has a medical emergency in their apartment or while using the stairs if the elevator isn't working.
The village of Hempstead has issued three summonses against AD Real Estate Investors for the elevators being out of service since June. The building could face up to a $2,000 fine on each charge.
The village building inspector was on site Tuesday, and the mayor is monitoring the situation. Village trustee Waylyn Hobbs says he's looking into asking Nassau County to pull the building’s Payment in Lieu of Taxes, or PILOT subsidy, if the owners don't solve the elevator problem now.
News 12 has asked AD Real Estate Investors for comment, but the owners have not returned calls.
Village officials want the building's owners to appear for a meeting at Village Hall Friday to discuss plans to fix the elevators.
 


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