Broken Elevator Has Stranded Jersey City Tenants For 8 Months, NJ Attorney General Says

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Now that an elevator has been out of use for eight months in one building in Jersey City, the state's attorney general has issued a notice of violation, they said Wednesday.

Tenants with disabilities have been unable to leave their floor for eight months, because it would require walking more than 80 steps, said the office of Attorney General Matthew Platkin and the Division on Civil Rights on Wednesday.

They have issued a Notice of Violation to Let’s Celebrate Urban Renewal, LLC, the owner of a six-story building located at 503 Garfield Ave., they say.

The Notice of Violation alleges that the elevator in the building has been out of service for more than eight months, "denying residents with disabilities equal use and enjoyment of their apartments," said the state.

A release from the state added, "The Notice of Violation announced today alleges that the building’s owner has failed to adequately address the elevator outage or provide reasonable accommodations for residents with disabilities in violation of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination.

"The LAD prohibits housing providers from discriminating against residents on the basis of an actual or perceived disability. Under the LAD, it is also unlawful for a housing provider to refuse to make reasonable accommodations or reasonable structural modifications necessary to ensure that a resident with a disability has an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling."

The state their investigation found that 503 Garfield Avenue’s sole elevator has been inoperable since approximately November 2023.

The state said, "The investigation found that building management knew or should have known that several tenants required reasonable accommodations during the elevator outage, but that it did not provide appropriate reasonable accommodations for these tenants."

“No one should face harm from a housing provider because they have a disability. In New Jersey, that’s against the law,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Laws only work when they are enforced, and we’re determined to ensure that our residents benefit from the protections granted by the Law Against Discrimination.”

“Our civil rights laws require housing providers to provide reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. That means, at a bare minimum, that a housing provider must work with residents to ensure that they can safely enter and exit their apartments,” said Sundeep Iyer, director of the Division on Civil Rights. “Combating housing discrimination remains a core priority for our office, and we will continue to expand our efforts to ensure that every New Jerseyan can access housing free from discrimination.”

If the situation isn't fixed, the state could file a complaint. The property owner then may be required to pay damages to residents who have been harmed, attorney’s fees, and civil penalties against the property owner in an amount not to exceed $10,000 for a first offense, $25,000 for a second offense, and $50,000 for any subsequent offenses.

To view fact sheets on disability discrimination pertaining to the rights of people with disabilities in employment, housing, and places of public accommodation, on the right to an emotional support animal in housing, and on the right to have a service or guide dog under the LAD, visit https://www.njoag.gov/about/divisions-and-offices/division-on-civil-rights-home/division-on-civil-rights-resources/. People with disabilities who believe their rights under the LAD have been violated can file a complaint with DCR by visiting https://bias.njcivilrights.gov... or calling 1-833-NJDCR4U (833-653-2748).

The New Jersey Division on Civil Rights enforces the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, the New Jersey Family Leave Act, and the Fair Chance in Housing Act, and works to prevent, eliminate, and remedy discrimination and bias-based harassment in employment, housing, and places of public accommodation throughout New Jersey. To find out more information, go to www.njcivilrights.gov.

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