A Jersey City grandmother was injured after falling down a broken elevator shaft at 11 Gifford Ave. last night, sustaining injuries including a broken elbow and stomach tear, NBC News reported.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Caution tape was seen blocking off the entrance to the elevator on Tuesday, video from the TV station shows, with another resident claiming that his apartment has dealt with mold and water leaks, none of which have been addressed by Cross County Management.
“It’s another example of issues not being addressed: a law needs to be created so that landlords make elevator repairs a priority,” said Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2), a declared candidate for Jersey City mayor, said today.
“When a building like 630 Bergen Ave. is allowed to be without an elevator for over 20 months, and I pray it never happens, but when a senior or another individual falls down the stairs and has a heart attack and passes away, the landlord and city will be held accountable, as well as in this case, AT&T – a powerful utility company.”
In January, O’Dea brought to light that the elevator at 630 Bergen Ave. has been broken for over around 20 months, with water damage also being prevalent, as HCV first reported.
Then, earlier this month, he urged the city council to amend a local ordinance to include elevator repairs in light of repeated and/or extended service outages in at least four buildings.
Councilmen Yousef Saleh, James Solomon, and Frank “Educational” Gilmore committed to doing so in the near future, but the measure seems unlikely to make a council agenda in March.
