UPDATE: Since this story originally aired, the elevator at the Lofts at University Heights has been fixed.
ORIGINAL: When the only elevator at the Lofts at University Heights stopped working on Tuesday, Raymond Backey called 7 Problem Solvers.
For Backey, it's a big deal as he has difficulty walking after multiple strokes.
7 Problem Solver Michael Schwartz called the local elevator service company and an employee told him they were not fixing it because the property's owner owed them thousands of dollars.
"This doesn't make any sense," said Backey.
After a doctor's appointment on Wednesday, Backey came back to his building with the elevator still broken. He had to be assisted by three men, including the driver of his medical van, to climb 50 stairs just to get to his third-floor apartment. Backey was out of breath, as one of his legs had to be lifted throughout the 15-minute climb.
Schwartz then spoke to a property manager who confirmed that money got in the way of repairs. He told Schwartz that the missing payments were finally made, and the elevator would be fixed on Wednesday afternoon. However, Backey said on Wednesday night the elevator was still broken.
"It was all because of your incompetence," said Schwartz to the property manager. "It was very frustrating to watch."
The opening of the Lofts at University Heights was celebrated five years ago for bringing affordable housing to Buffalo’s University District. UH Lofts Housing Development transformed the former Buffalo Public School 63 into the $16 million dollar complex it is today.
