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Locked in a Room in our Apartment Complex - Had to kick door out (Fire Code?)

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LockedInACloset

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New York

This may be the wrong forum but none fit perfectly.

This evening, my wife went to the fitness center in our Apartment Complex (corporate owned). There is a key fob entry into the fitness center. Upon entering, she set her stuff down and walked through another door to enter a hallway that houses two restrooms (one male, one female). She used the restroom.

When she left the restroom, she found out she was locked in this small hallway. The hallway has two doors. One has a key lock and exits into the rental office. One has a push button lock (the push button lock faces the fitness center, not the hallway) which should have unlocked when she opened the door to go into the bathroom hallway.

She was trapped in this hallway for a bit over an hour before she kicked down the door to enter the rental office and leave the building through the rental office.

I am wondering if there is a liability claim here? There is no way it is up to building/fire codes to have a door that could potentially lock someone in an internal hallway with no egress.

Any suggestions as to what I should do next?
 


Banned_Princess

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New York

This may be the wrong forum but none fit perfectly.

This evening, my wife went to the fitness center in our Apartment Complex (corporate owned). There is a key fob entry into the fitness center. Upon entering, she set her stuff down and walked through another door to enter a hallway that houses two restrooms (one male, one female). She used the restroom.

When she left the restroom, she found out she was locked in this small hallway. The hallway has two doors. One has a key lock and exits into the rental office. One has a push button lock (the push button lock faces the fitness center, not the hallway) which should have unlocked when she opened the door to go into the bathroom hallway.

She was trapped in this hallway for a bit over an hour before she kicked down the door to enter the rental office and leave the building through the rental office.

I am wondering if there is a liability claim here? There is no way it is up to building/fire codes to have a door that could potentially lock someone in an internal hallway with no egress.

Any suggestions as to what I should do next?

What do you want, to SUE them?

Be happy she was able to kick her way out.

Maybe she should also get another gym.
 

sandyclaus

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New York

This may be the wrong forum but none fit perfectly.

This evening, my wife went to the fitness center in our Apartment Complex (corporate owned). There is a key fob entry into the fitness center. Upon entering, she set her stuff down and walked through another door to enter a hallway that houses two restrooms (one male, one female). She used the restroom.

When she left the restroom, she found out she was locked in this small hallway. The hallway has two doors. One has a key lock and exits into the rental office. One has a push button lock (the push button lock faces the fitness center, not the hallway) which should have unlocked when she opened the door to go into the bathroom hallway.

She was trapped in this hallway for a bit over an hour before she kicked down the door to enter the rental office and leave the building through the rental office.

I am wondering if there is a liability claim here? There is no way it is up to building/fire codes to have a door that could potentially lock someone in an internal hallway with no egress.

Any suggestions as to what I should do next?
Liability for what? Do you mean YOU or the apartment complex?

If you're thinking YOU, then probably not. Obviously, if the complex hadn't improperly placed locks on the doors, your wife would not have needed to kick down a door to get out.

If you're thinking the apartment complex, then again, probably not. Your wife wasn't injured in any way. She didn't have to receive any kind of medical treatment, and there were no damages for which the apartment complex could be held responsible.

What I would suggest is to advise the apartment complex to correct the doors to enable proper ingress and egress, or you will be contacting the authorities (fire department and/or building inspector) to cite them.
 

LockedInACloset

Junior Member
Liability for what? Do you mean YOU or the apartment complex?

If you're thinking YOU, then probably not.
I was thinking ME. Is there any way they can come after me for the door?

I would imagine that they are more afraid I notify the proper authorities and they end up with fines...
 

justalayman

Senior Member
LockedInACloset;3126030]I was thinking ME. Is there any way they can come after me for the door?
Sure. They could come after me if they wanted to. Doesn't mean they would get anything though. It isn't possible to know if your wife would be held liable (by a court) for anything. Based on the minimal information you provided, I would say no but depending on information not provided, it could change.


I would imagine that they are more afraid I notify the proper authorities and they end up with fines..
the proper authorities should be notified anyway. NY is really big on fire code and I suspect that the situation violated some section of the fire code. It needs to be remedied.
 

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