Alex Sajkovic has lived in his Haight-Ashbury apartment since 1984. He started a natural stone business in San Francisco, which he ran until being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (“ALS”), a fatal disease that affects the nervous system and causes loss of muscle control. By the summer of 2020, he could no longer navigate the 44 stairs to his apartment by himself.

Alex and his wife Rose secured an affordable chairlift and reached out to their landlord for permission to install it at no cost to the landlord. Instead of allowing the chairlift installation, as required by law and common decency, the landlord obstructed installation for months, responding with curt, vague emails and ultimately denying permission.

Alex reached out to LAE. We made a formal request for the landlord to approve the chairlift, which was denied. We then sued the landlord in court to get an order requiring the landlord allow installation. We got the order and the chairlift was installed. Now Alex can leave his apartment to go to medical appointments and, on good days, relax in the Panhandle, just steps away from his front door.