LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Anna Mathews – in her 90s and walking with a cane – served her country in the Air Force during the Korean War. Since 2010, she has lived in a 55-and-over apartment complex in Henderson.
But she’s been stuck in her apartment near Boulder Highway for two weeks because the elevator hasn’t worked since the end of August. She missed church the last two Sundays.
“I have calmed down, but I was not kind,” Mathews told NewsNation affiliate KLAS.
Mathews said she was angry because she felt the management company at Horizon Seniors apartments wasn’t giving her enough information. At first, she wasn’t getting any information at all, she said.
“Don’t get me riled up,” Mathews, exasperated, said with a laugh. “It took them three days to tell us.”
The attorney for the property manager, Terry Moore from the law firm Marquis Aurbach, provided KLAS the following timeline, which contradicts what residents at Horizon report.
Moore said the building – Building 1 – sprung two leaks. The first, on Aug. 30, caused damage to ”a number of units.” Mathews’ unit was not affected, and a piping company fixed that leak right away, Moore said. Contractors and maintenance staff were working inside and outside of some apartments on Tuesday.
The second leak, on the evening of Aug. 31, is still being addressed by the maintenance staff and an elevator repair company.
“That’s the one that ended up actually affecting the elevator,” Moore said. He said the elevator’s circuit board is “completely fried.”
“They didn’t ignore these people,” Moore said of his clients.
Moore said the residents were emailed the next day, and posted notices throughout the building twice over the next week. KLAS obtained copies of some of those announcements. One, dated Sept. 7, read, in part, “We fully understand the urgency of these repairs and are committed to restoring the elevator to service as soon as possible. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused and are grateful for your patience.”
The notice went on to offer assistance with retrieving groceries, which the management company said residents should order to be delivered to their office.
But Mathews, who said the owners increased her rent by $226 in February, said she feels the management company’s response is inadequate.
“No,” Mathews said. “It’s not okay.”
Moore, the attorney, told KLAS the elevator should be fixed by Thursday.
“The repairs for this are going to cost a fortune,” he said.
Residents at the complex said that Henderson’s Code Enforcement division visited the complex but a request for those records will take up to seven days, their website says.
The state department responsible for elevator permitting, through a spokeswoman, provided the following response:
“This complex has four elevators, three of which are currently compliant and have valid operating permits including the elevator in building one. The elevator in building four does not have a valid operating permit due to an unabated violation.”
Additionally, residents were concerned that the flooding caused lasting damage to the sprinkler system. Large holes could be seen throughout the ceiling outside of several units Tuesday. But Moore said “the sprinklers are fine.”
“The building is safe,” he said.