Out-of-service elevator in Brooklyn building is testing the patience of residents. Here's what happened.

An elevator in one Brooklyn apartment building has been out of service for a couple of weeks, leaving some elderly tenants unable to go about their daily lives.

The question is: Why is it taking so long to make the much-needed repairs?

Cease-use order issued

The elevator at 2470 W. 1st St. in Gravesend, a seven-story apartment building, has been out since the end of June.

The Department of Buildings says it responded on June 29 to a 311 complaint of an elevator malfunction, adding inspectors determined that a fire safety mechanism designed to stop an in-use elevator and return it to its designated floor in the event of fire detection by the building's fire alarm system was not functioning.

So a cease-use order was issued until repairs are made.

A sign posted by the management company says it's working to restore service but that "unfortunately, some aspects of this situation are currently beyond our control."

The letter urges tenants to reach out to local lawmakers to get involved. It also tells residents to call the super for assistance with groceries and packages.

City Councilmember Michael Novakhov said his office has reached out to building management and the DOB, and is demanding elevator service be restored within 48 hours.

"We will continue pressing until this issue is resolved," Novakhov said in a statement, in part.

What's holding up repairs?

The elevator has to be repaired and reinspected in order for the cease-use order to be lifted.

CBS News New York reached out to building management, but the phone just rang and rang. We also reached out to the building's super, but have not heard back.

A worker with the elevator repair company Millennium called CBS News New York at management request and says it has been trying to find an engineer to help assist with what he called a big job and not an easy fix for an old elevator. However, he did say he was optimistic that the company may have found one.

Two weeks of frustration

Darrell Spruill had to call his wife to come downstairs to help him with the groceries since he just got out of the hospital after undergoing cancer treatment.

"Gotta eat, but I can't carry it upstairs," he said.

"It's hard walking up and down those steps. Like, I haven't been able to go to the laundry because I can't carry it down the steps from the sixth floor, so it's really bad," a 70-year-old tenant named Ramona said.

"I haven't been able to do my laundry, take my cat to veterinarian. I haven't been able to do groceries," Rene M. Mitchell added.

"We pay rent here. This is unacceptable for residents that live here," another resident said.