RICHMOND, Va. — Residents of The Summit at Scott’s Addition in Richmond are voicing growing frustration after being without functioning elevators for over a week. The issue began on Sunday, February 17, when a power surge caused mechanical failures that left the building’s elevators out of service.
In an email obtained by 8News, the property management informed tenants that the elevators had been down since the surge. The most recent update, sent on Monday, February 24, stated that the management team was still waiting for necessary parts to arrive. Once the parts are received, repairs are expected to take a full day, leaving tenants in limbo about when they can expect the elevators to be back in operation.
For residents, the impact has been significant, especially for those with mobility challenges. According to the Fair Housing Act, landlords are required to provide reasonable access to buildings, including functioning elevators for disabled tenants. With the elevators out of service for an extended period, residents argue that their rights are being compromised.
Mark Mullen, a resident of The Summit, is particularly affected by the outage. Mullen, who is totally blind, lives on the top floor of the building with his partner, who is recovering from a knee injury. Mullen shared that his partner had nearly healed from the injury when she fell trying to navigate the stairs on the first day of the outage, worsening her condition. Since then, she has been confined to their apartment, unable to leave.
“I find it very disheartening that every email I get says, ‘Thank you for dealing with this inconvenience,’” Mullen said. “An elevator being out for a day is an inconvenience. An elevator being out for a week in a building that absolutely must have functioning elevators is a big problem.”
Mullen, who is already frustrated by the lack of communication from management, indicated that he may be forced to find another place to live if the situation does not improve soon. “Our home is broke, our residence is broke, and the stewards overseeing it are just leaving us in the dark and don’t appear to be being proactive,” he said.
Other residents are also expressing concerns. Laura Kay Sherman, who is scheduled for ovarian surgery, has found the lack of communication particularly troubling. Sherman, who works in the industry, said she’s dealt with similar elevator outages before but was always given a clear timeline for repairs. “I’m confused as to why they’re not sharing that with residents,” she said.
Despite multiple attempts by 8News to reach out to the property management and its parent company, Gates Hudson, no response has been received as of the time of reporting.
As frustration mounts, residents continue to demand answers and more immediate action to resolve the elevator outage, stressing the importance of accessible living conditions for all tenants.
