This archive report was first published on 3 September 2019.
On August 22, 2019, a 30-year-old man lost his life in a tragic elevator accident at the Manhattan Promenade, a luxury apartment building in Kips Bay, New York. The incident highlighted the long-standing issues with the building's elevators, which had been unpredictable for years.
According to The New York Times, tenants had reported that the elevators would 'wobble erratically' and stop between floors. The faulty elevators had become a major concern for the residents, who were forced to endure the inconvenience and safety risks.
Less than two weeks after the accident, tenants claimed that the building's other elevator was still malfunctioning. In response, some tenants formed a tenants association and started a rent strike, with many advised by an attorney to stop paying rent immediately.
"You never think, in a building where I am paying $2,800 for studio, that you could die from the elevator," a tenant told the New York Post.
As a result of the incident, ATA Enterprises, the property management company, was ordered to have a staff member on the elevator at all times. However, tenants say the elevator is still shaky and has skipped floors, with some even reporting that it got stuck on a floor and they had to go to another floor to get out.
