UES Elevator That Trapped Woman Lacked Working Phone: Inspectors

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — An Upper East Side townhouse elevator that broke down, trapping a housekeeper for three days, had no working emergency phone and a faulty motor, according to a city Department of Buildings inspection.

Inspectors from the DOB evaluated the elevator at 48 East 65th St., a multi-million dollar townhouse between Park and Madison avenues, on Wednesday and issued three violations with a maximum penalty of $60,000 in fines, a department spokesman said.

Marites Fortaliza was rescued from the elevator Monday morning after spending nearly 72 hours trapped inside. The elevator got stuck between the second and third floor buildings of the home, which is owned by Arkansas billionaire Warren Stephens and wasn't rescued until Stephens' daughter realized the machine was stuck after returning home for the weekend.

City inspectors determined that the elevator's hoist motor burned out, causing it to get stuck in the elevator shaft. An emergency phone that was located in the elevator was not working, city inspectors said.

The three violations levied against Stephens are for a failure to properly maintain the elevator, for a damaged hoistway door and defective hoist motor and for a broken communications device. A cease-use order was placed on the elevator Thursday and will not be lifted until Stephens fixes the problems and has the device re-inspected, a DOB spokesman said.

Fortaliza, who spent time recovering at her sister's New Jersey home, told reporters through a neighbor that she does not plan to sue the Stephens family. The family released a statement Monday that described Fortaliza as a "valued member of the Stephens extended family for 18 years" and added that "appropriate measures will be taken to ensure that something like this never happens again."

Forbes estimates Stephens' net worth at $2.6 billion. His uncle started the finance company Stephens Inc. in the 30s. Stephens became CEO of the firm in the 80s and bought his cousins out of the business in 2006, according to Forbes.

Photo by Brendan Krisel/Patch