A group of outraged residents of the house in Hell’s Kitchen (Manhattan) wants to sue the landlord, who established their home technology of the Latch, and now to get home they must use the app on their smartphones instead of keys.
The conflict erupted in the building on West 45th Street. 72-year-old artist Marybeth Mackenzie, who lived in this building for almost five decades, is outraged by this innovation. She says that the new system is impractical, because if the phone sits or broken, they will not be able to get home. Also the use of the application is very inconvenient for elderly people, many of whom are poorly versed in modern technology.
«We just want to use the keys as before,» said Marybeth.
She especially worried about her 93-year-old husband who’s not even a smartphone. After the system Latch he was locked in his own house.
«He can’t use a mobile phone, so it is very important to have the key,» added Mackenzie.
Hell’s Kitchen residents are suing over apartment keyless entry https://t.co/uGIYQ1E6n0 pic.twitter.com/64agoWHtGz
— New York Post (@nypost) March 17, 2019
This system has been running for at least 1000 apartment buildings throughout the city. Many tenants who have recently moved to a house on 45th Street, ready to use the app to access the building entrance, Elevator and mailboxes.
«Everything works well — told PIX11 News journalists Anna Paola, Zambia living in the home one month. I have no problems.»
But the attorney representing residents who sued the landlord, said that the installation of the system Latch is a way of ousting tenants with regulated rents.
Also some residents do not like that the system allows building owners to track their tenants through GPS and get data about their social networking activities.
«This is an attempt of observation of the tenants, said the lawyer, Landlord forcing them to use the system of electronic keys, which includes a GPS function that tracks their whereabouts. Also to use the system from customers are required to provide sensitive personal information».
Residents unhappy they have to use app to get into Manhattan building; sue their landlord https://t.co/FR9tIlCkqX pic.twitter.com/r4nGgkgdU9
— PIX11 News (@PIX11News) March 18, 2019
The owners of the building — the limited liability company, controlled by Offeror Naim and Shai Bernstein — say, installed a Latch to ensure greater safety of the tenants after the burglary in August 2018, and the GPS function is optional.
«Tenants have the option to disable this feature at any time,» said Naim during the trial.
Landlords insist on the convenience of the system Latch, which allows people to let in the building of someone, for example, of the courier, without having to be home.
But Ron Sharpe, who lives on the first floor of the building since 2003 and leads an antique business with his partner, not impressed with their arguments.
«We just want to return the keys — he said to journalists the New York Post. They’re easy to handle.»
