Bronx woman says she’s been locked out of her apartment building despite having a key

The resident says her neighbors often prop open the front door due to this ongoing issue, which presents a potential safety hazard for the building's residents.

Adolfo Carrion and Samantha Chaney

Mar 17, 2023, 9:23 PM

Updated 497 days ago

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A Bronx resident says she’s been locked out of her building in Melrose despite having a key.  
Every time Jessica Quinones leaves her apartment, she says she’s stressed out about being able to get back in the building, where oftentimes her key doesn’t let her in. She describes it as a game of chance in which she’s sometimes forced to wait until a neighbor opens the door for her. 
Since January, Quinones says she’s been complaining about the issue and was initially told her key was the problem. Her replacement key had the same issues.  
Quinones says residents usually leave the front door propped open due to this issue, which makes her fear for her safety.  
“Anyone can come in the building, whether they’re good, whether they live here, whether they’re not good,” said Quinones.  
The New York City Housing Authority did send maintenance to the building to make repairs on Friday, but NYCHA workers told News 12 that the work needed involves getting power to the lobby.  
When they left, Quinones still wasn’t able to get inside with her key. She says that as paying residents, they should not have to prop the door open and risk their safety to get into their apartments. 


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