The reason the lift stopped, leaving a person with a disability on the street, was a conflict between two private condominiums

A wheelchair-bound resident of Mykolaiv could not return home because the lift was turned off due to debts. Photo: NikVesti

Due to a dispute between two management companies, the lift in one of Mykolaiv's buildings was turned off, forcing a man with a disability to wait outside the building for several hours.

The relevant explanation was provided by the Department of Housing and Communal Services of the Mykolaiv City Council in response to the publication NikVesti.

As it is known, on 3 May, a resident of Mykolaiv, who was unable to get up to his apartment on the 6th floor in a wheelchair, contacted the editorial office — the lift suddenly stopped working. The company «Pivden» told him that the lift was disconnected because of debts. City council member Yurii Stepanets responded to the call for help on social media and organised the man's lift home.

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The housing and communal services department said that the problem arose because since 2018 the house had been serviced by «City for People Mykolaiv», and since 2021 «Pivdenna» became the manager — by the decision of the residents themselves. However, some people still pay money to the old housing office, which complicates the situation with payment and maintenance of the building.

«Some residents still pay money to the previous manager, «City for People Mykolaiv», which creates a legal conflict. According to Article 10 of the Law of Ukraine «On Peculiarities of Exercising Ownership in an Apartment Building», decisions on management are made exclusively at the general meeting of co-owners. Therefore, as an option to resolve the situation, residents can hold a meeting, inviting representatives of both companies, and make a final collective decision: either to approve the current manager, or to elect a new one, or to create an HOA. The Department of Housing and Communal Services is ready to organise such a meeting if there is a request from the co-owners of an apartment building,» the department said.

The Housing and Utilities Department added that stopping the lift because of debts is illegal. Elevators should operate continuously, except in cases of accidents or repairs. Because of the violation, the company «Pivdenna», which currently serves the building, received an order demanding that the lift resume operation.

As a reminder, Mykolaiv deputies asked to resume the work of the committee on accessibility for people with disabilities, which ceased operations during the full-scale war.

In August 2024, the Mykolaiv City Council approved the target programme «Mykolaiv without Barriers» for 2024-2026. The programme should enable the formation of a comprehensive system for the rehabilitation and integration of people with disabilities, as well as strengthen social protection for people with disabilities and other low-mobility groups.