A South Florida family is frustrated. One of their relatives is unable to visit her loved ones at a local cemetery and it’s all because of a broken elevator.
7’s Heather Walker investigates.
Cemeteries can be a place of peace and reflection. But one cemetery is a cause of frustration for Johanna Rodriguez.
Johanna Rodriguez: “It’s very disappointing. It’s very sad.”
Johanna’s aunt, Caridad, wants to visit her parents at Vista Memorial Gardens in Miami Lakes, along with the rest of the family.
Caridad Marquez: “Very good parents.”
But for six months now, that has been a struggle.
Johanna Rodriguez: “I want us to be able to go together and enjoy that time.”
When they went in October to commemorate Caridad’s father’s birthday, the elevator was broken.
Johanna Rodriguez: “She could not get up the stairs.”
Caridad’s parents are on the second floor of the two story mausoleum, which only has one elevator. Caridad uses a walker and has trouble climbing stairs.
Johanna Rodriguez: “It makes me feel sad. It makes me feel frustrated. I know she has limited mobility but she wants to see her parents and that shouldn’t be a reason why she can’t visit her parents.”
Hoping the elevator would be fixed, Johanna and her family went back the next month. Again, the elevator was broken.
And it remains that way.
Johanna Rodriguez: “It was very disappointing to have our hopes up and then press the button, wait a minute or two, and realize ‘No it’s not working,’ and the thing is, it’s not just us.”
We found another person complaining online, writing: “My grandmother was laid to rest and I had to witness several of my elderly family members struggle to climb flights of steps due to elevators not being in working order…Embarrassing.”
So, what does Vista Memorial Gardens have to say?
Johanna Rodriguez: “Every time we call, it’s a different message. It’s ‘Yes, thank you for letting us know’ or ‘Oh, there’s not a problem,’ or ‘It got fixed, it’s resolved, it’s being worked on.'”
In an email, 7Investigates was told “The primary purpose of the mausoleum elevators is to transport caskets…any person who is visiting a loved one and who has trouble with the stairs can request assistance in the cemetery office and the elevator will be made available”.
We shared that response with Johanna. She went back to the cemetery with her aunt, called for help, but all she got, was voicemail.
Message: “It is either after hours or we are away from the desk.”
And when we went to the office in person, we were told the elevator was broken.
Johanna Rodriguez: “At the very least, some signage that says the elevator is down.”
Vista Memorial Gardens tells us: “All of Vista’s elevators are being upgraded.” adding, “Parts have been ordered, and it is anticipated that work will commence shortly.”
Heather: But on Friday, the Miami-Dade County Office of Elevator Safety posted this notice of violation. It says “shut down for modernization. No permit pulled.” and work can’t start without a permit.”
Johanna Rodriguez: “I don’t expect it to be resolved, you know, one day to the next. But I do expect it to be resolved.”
But a resolution may still take a while. The county has given the cemetery’s elevator company 15 days to apply for, and post, a permit so that work can begin.
Heather Walker, 7News.
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