PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — I investigated widespread elevator breakdowns that leave disabled and elderly residents trapped in their condo buildings for weeks or months without repairs.
My investigation revealed systemic problems with accountability and enforcement that disproportionately impact vulnerable populations.
State Representative Peggy Gossett-Seidman saw my investigation and says she plans to introduce legislation in the next session to address the problem.
I spoke with one attorney who tells me people can take their landlords to court, but it often takes too much time and too much money.
Ken Graff said the elevator at building Wellington D in Century Village used to break down regularly.
"It could last for days and that's not acceptable, because the people that live in this community are elderly people," Graff said.
So, his HOA upgraded the elevator.
"It's more efficient now," Graff said.
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But is it reliable? I dug into state records and found it last passed inspection in April 2019.
"Here's the place that the certificate is supposed to go," Graff said, pointing to an empty frame. "And this is supposed to be where somebody's inspected it."
Graff said people in his building in West Palm Beach are luckier than the elderly and disabled people I showed you – forced to use steep stairs for several months to get to their upper floor rooms.
I wanted to know if they could hold landlords or HOAs responsible for a non-working elevator.
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"Their biggest burden is going to be finding a lawyer who's willing to do this at a price they can afford," said Aaron Bass, an attorney.
Bass said out of service elevators may be Federal Fair Housing Act violations. But he adds that rarely prods people struggling with broken elevators to take legal action.
"People who are seniors may not want to get involved in the legal system. It is very stressful, in addition to being expensive to deal with," Bass said.
I've put together a list of elevators in our area listed by the state as "delinquent." It includes the date the elevators were last inspected and the age of the elevators.
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