Elderly Lynn residents walking up 5 flights finally get elevator fixed

LYNN, Mass. — Our exclusive story Monday night about a five-floor building with no working elevator has now brought some results.

We have been calling and texting residents and the management company every day since the story aired.

On Friday, we learned things are finally getting back to normal for residents like Sharyn Rogers, who came home expecting to walk up five flights of stairs until we told her the elevator had been fixed.

“It’s working, it’s working,” said Rogers. “It had been broken for over a month.”

Sawyer Property Management told us they’ve had issues with the elevator company and had to make a new part which caused delays and a headache for these Ocean Street residents.

Donna Loncich will no longer need a half-hour to go up the stairs.

“I have so many doctors appointments I have had to cancel,” said Loncich. “I am thrilled to death to now be able to get some things done. I’m very grateful although it should’ve never got this far.”

Some residents tell us our story along with the city threatening a court order was when they finally saw change.

“They didn’t send a memo or anything, it was just ‘It’s broken.’ It wasn’t until the lawyers got involved and someone called the news then all of a sudden they started offering hotels,” said one resident.

“I have no problem with us being held accountable,” said Gregg Clickstein of Sawyer Property Management. “This should never have taken as long as it did. Although we didn’t do a great job in this particular instance. It’s our job to take care of our people… this was going to get handled by today with or without the input from Channel 25.”

The management company says they helped people carry their laundry and groceries and the day after our story aired, they began offering hotels, however only three people took them up on their offer.

“It was a nice thought but not a lot of help,” said Rogers. “What do you do for food? You cannot cook in a hotel room. So you got to go shopping. Take it up, no I didn’t.”

The residents got a note under their door Friday saying the elevator is back working and the management company will also be fixing the floor which the residents had also been concerned about.

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