Elderly, disabled Miami-Dade condominium residents say they are stranded by broken elevator for over a month
Residents of a condominium complex near Doral are appealing for help after being stranded on upper floors for more than a month, with an out-of-service elevator.
Larry Henson, 83, lives on the fifth floor of the building at 7240 Fontainebleau Boulevard. He says his arthritis makes it impossible to navigate the stairs, and he and his 76-year-old wife, Sandra Henson, have been relying on family members to deliver food.
"I have arthritis, and I can't get up and down," he told CBS News Miami. "It has been bad. It has been really bad. I don't get up and down. I just walk up and down here on my floor. I have been basically stranded. If it were the 2nd or 3rd floor, I could probably do it. It keeps me from doing anything."
He added, "I just don't get up and down, and I feel depressed. It would mean a lot to me to see the elevators fixed. It would be really helpful. It would mean I could be moving around."
CBS News Miami first reported the service outage at the 7240 building on June 2, noting that the elevator had been non-functional since May 14. While other elevators at the complex — specifically at buildings 9270 and 9180 — were also reported down, service at those locations has since been restored.
Sandra Henson said, "I feel horrible. This is terrible. No up and down. Nothing." Pointing to her back, she said, "I have pain right here."
Atlas Property Management, the building's management company, declined to comment on camera. However, a spokesperson indicated that a defective elevator valve had been replaced and that they are waiting for an inspection by Miami-Dade County. The company stated they are working with the Advance Elevator Company.
Antonio Perez, president of Advance Elevator Company, confirmed to CBS News Miami that the valve was replaced Tuesday and said an inspection had been scheduled by the county for next Monday at noon.
Late Wednesday afternoon, a spokesperson for Miami-Dade County confirmed that a hydraulic valve had been replaced. Daniel Lastra with the county's Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources stated that the county must perform a pressure test on the elevator, which involves running the unit with weights, before it can pass inspection.
"We are standing by for word from the building's management and have been making ourselves available in an expedited fashion to conduct this pending inspection that would allow the elevator to be operational again," Lastra said in a statement.
He added, "The test involves running the elevator with weights inside. Those weights need to be provided by the elevator company for them to perform the test. RER's Elevator Safety Section is on standby for tomorrow morning to be present for the test. However, this is all pending whether the weights actually arrive tomorrow. It may happen as late as Monday or sometime next week."
Last July, CBS News Miami reported on how there were also problems at one building at the complex when elevator service was out for more than a week, but service was restored after a few weeks.