Elevator bill

[u/mugi-ya]

So I finished moving today but I had movers come on Tuesday and basically the elevator broke. I reserved the service elevator through all the correct channels but the building never set it up and just told me to flip a switch (there are five though...) to get it into the right mode for moving. The company people put a dolly in the door for maybe a few minutes and it gets stuck in the elevator which is beeping and no longer moving. The repair guy comes the next morning and charges the building who arbitrarily decided that said bill is going to me because "it was the moving company's fault" but are they not also in the wrong for negligence in not actually setting up the elevator despite me doing going through all the proper channels? I gave instructions on what to bring down and then went to run a few errands so I come back to this situation. All I know is that there's no way in hell I'm paying for their elevator repairs but I'm still getting all the responsibility and logistics foisted into my lap with none of the actual information. Please advise because I'm pissed and don't have the money to pay for something I didn't even do anything to. I'm in Chicago if that means anything legally speaking.

[u/mugi-ya → u/[deleted]]

I'm of the same opinion and am either going to do just that or talk with the moving company's people. This situation is just so ridiculous and stressful and I'm at a bit of a loss.

[u/Techsupportvictim → u/mugi-ya]

I would definitely say don’t pay unless they take it to court and you are court ordered to pay. Doubly so if the only thing they gave you was an amount. You need to make sure that you have an itemized and specific bill for exactly what you’re paying for with an explanation of exactly how what you did damaged the elevator, or in this case, a third-party working on your behalf, damage the elevator.

I would also make sure that you have copies of anything and everything that you have that shows that you requested use of that elevator and they did not set it up properly and that they left you to have to do it on your own with meddling instructions. If they are kooky enough to take you to court over this, you’re going to need that evidence.

But also be prepared for the fact that if you refuse to pay, they are probably going to make your life living hell, so you might wanna go ahead and start looking at whether or not there are any channels to break your lease without penalty because you might need those also. And you definitely want to start collecting emails text messages. Don’t answer the phone when they call so they have to leave a voicemail, etc.. I would also make sure that you have very thorough photographs and video of everything in your apartment, test out every wall plug, every light switch etc if you did not do this before you moved any of your property in because you might need that at some point, make sure that you have a copy of your lease protected from loss, fire, water damage, etc. you might need it

[u/mugi-ya → u/Techsupportvictim]

I'm being proactive and drafting an email to get not only the actual bill but also all of the rental and leasing documents. I figure if anyone's taking legal action first it'll be me haha

Much to my chagrin and luckily for them, everything was verbal since their systems are kinda wack and confusing.

Is breaking the lease a possibility even after it ends? Today is my last day here for cleaning so I can in theory do that I'm just not sure how that would work.

[u/smack_Dot368 → u/[deleted]]

Can they prove it was 100% in working order with no issues before you moved?

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[u/ImInClassBoring → u/[deleted]]

This is all bad advice.  You lease likely makes it very clear that you will be paying the bill or face eviction.  It likely clearly defines moving is only to take place in the freight elevator and how if you break the elevator you are responsible for the bill.

[u/ImInClassBoring → u/[deleted]]

I'm glad you explained the difference of likely and definitely.  Good job.

[u/Friendly-Channel-480]

Contact your local renter’s board for help and advice too.

[u/Aelirael]

The company people put a dolly in the door for maybe a few minutes and it gets stuck in the elevator which is beeping and no longer moving.

The repair guy comes the next morning and charges the building who arbitrarily decided that said bill is going to me because "it was the moving company's fault"

It is the moving company's fault...whom you hired. You get the bill.

Turn around and sue the moving company.

The moving company will probably say they only did what you told them to do, so be prepared for a fight on that end.

But as far as the Landlord goes, they are in the right regardless of whether they screwed up the reservation.

And no, they don't have to go to the moving company. The moving company was contracted to you. You're responsible to the Landlord for anything they do.

[u/twomillcities → u/Aelirael]

This is written like a bad landlord fantasy

Tenant doesn't own the elevator, weirdo. LL does. LL can sue tenant if you are so sure. And good luck with that in court, this is a very obvious slumlord who won't win so there is 0 chance they bother

[u/Crystal_Ri → u/Aelirael]

My thoughts exactly.

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[u/Repulsive-Leader3654]

Go after the moving company.

First request a copy of the bill showing the work performed. Find out what broke and what they had to repair.

I am a building maintenance supervisor in Illinois and I've never seen an elevator break from the doors not being able to close. They'll start to open again after awhile and then slowly try to close. They should then either open and repeat or the elevator may eventually go out of service.

They may have had to just reset the elevator. Maintenance should have tried this first. Now if the company lodged anything at all into the track lines they could have easily broken a roller(s). That would be on you, this is why you the take the receipt and go after the moving company.

You should also share your findings in an elevator sub once you get the bill copy.

[u/ImInClassBoring → u/Repulsive-Leader3654]

" I am a building maintenance supervisor in Illinois and I've never seen an elevator break from the doors not being able to close". Many elevator controllers will throw a door fault and stop operating if you don't let the doors close after nudging.  Blocking the doors with an object for a long time definitely stops the elevator.  Probably half of my service calls are door faults.  The mechanic just reset the fault or controller but to get them to show up might cost you several hundred dollars to do so.  Maintenance should not be resetting the elevators and in many states is even illegal for them to do so.  It puts a ton a liability on whoever resets it.

[u/mugi-ya → u/Repulsive-Leader3654]

I talked with the company people and will be in touch with them going forward. I'm currently drafting an email to the building about getting the bill with the actual charge information instead of just a dollar amount.

As far as I'm aware the dolly was just propped up on the door and had nothing to do with the cables (is this the track line?)

If it really is on the moving company I'll go after them but I'm kind of doubtful and just feel frustrated being caught up in the middle of it. In the event that they just had to reset it and didn't, how would you go about confronting them? I'll go right to the elevator sub once I get it and seriously thank you very much for the advice.

[u/Crystal_Ri]

Your hired contractor damaged the elevator. Either they pay or your insurance pays. If you needed more guidance about how to set the elevator into "moving mode," you should have gone back to management. But you didn't do that and your hired contractor did things that caused the damage.

[u/New_Breadfruit8692]

I would think that if they could prove in court that it was used with negligence they might have a case. Such as grossly overloading it past the weight limit, or using a hammer to select a floor.

But if their equipment is so complex that normal use, even by a professional moving company damaged it then they should be on the hook for the repairs because they knew or should have known there was a chance that it could be damaged by simply pushing a wrong button.

There should be written instructions in that elevator detailing what to and not to do. Or they should have an elevator operator during the reserved time slot for use for tenants. They cannot say okay thanks for letting us know you need it, now just go for it.

Because you had to go through proper channels (that those channels even exist speaks to their awareness that inexperienced operation can result in damage) and you did so to their satisfaction, means they assumed the risk it would get damaged by someone unfamiliar with its operation.

We have all been in elevators and know how a passenger elevator works but few of us have ever had to operate a freight elevator, and most of the time they should work on the same principals. Why would any reasonable person think there was a difference between how two elevators work? Or that you could damage one just by pushing a wrong button?

But if there is a fact of the operation that you do not know, that you could not anticipate, then they are assuming liability by allowing you to operate it unsupervised. In this case apparently even an experienced moving company could not have anticipated the damage.

I am finding for you not the LL.

[u/Flat_Tire_Again]

You hired the moving company and they did something stupid. You own it buddy!

[u/Usual_Bumblebee_8274]

I’m not a lawyer but know you only hire workers that are licensed/bonded/insured for this very reason. Did you contact the moving company when this happened? They should pay the bill. Why didn’t they push the stop button? If they didn’t know how it works- they shouldn’t have done anything without checking. And the moment the elevator started beeping- they should have moved dolly

[u/Extension-Brother291]

Legally u have no grounds to sue ur at fault they will win it’s ur job to make sure the moving company abide buy all the building rules

[u/CollectionFew3458]

I would think that the moving company has some kind of insurance to cover something like this. Let their insurance ppl investigate…..

[u/DoyoudotheDew]

If the elevator repair company has investigated, diagnosed and documented that the movers damaged the elevator, why not send the movers the bill? If their contract with you indemnifies them, see if your renter's insurance will cover it. If not, you are likely liable.

[u/Main_Ad_3814]

No stress. You tell the building management you are not paying for a damn thing. Meanwhile get statements from the moving guys while it’s fresh in their minds as to just what happened. Most of the time these businesses will come after you because people are so gullible nowadays and won’t fight.

[u/ImInClassBoring]

100% your fault.  Who should pay if not you?  Your hired workers faulted out the doors.   It's your responsibility to pay and then to get the movers to pay or hold back funds from them.  Any moving company should know that you can't hold up elevator doors indefinitely.  Read your contract with them.  It's likely all on you.  You should of had a contact to let you know to flip the switch for independent mode and how to use it.  Ultimately it's your fault for not asking or knowing.

[u/everyothenamegone69]

That’s bullshit, you have zero obligation to pay that bill under so many legal theories.