The residents tried to compromise, with one suggestion being that property owners the upper floors should pay the lower floors to compensate them for the headache the construction process would create. One owner of the upper floor balked at the idea, saying he had gone through the necessary channels to install the lift.

Unable to reach an agreement, an owner of the top floor property decided to file a lawsuit and take the case to court.

Describing the quarrel on People’s Daily’s Message Board for Leaders, an online avenue for people to write grievances that get seen by government officials, a resident wrote in late January:

“It has been nearly three years since our community applied for the installation of lifts … more than two-thirds of the residents in this unit agree. The project was unreasonably obstructed, and the construction workers were harassed, which led to the delay in the normal start of construction.”

In one accusation, the post said lower floor tenants had sabotaged an electric metering system that was needed for the installation.

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Chinese delivery man saves dog whose leash got stuck in elevator

Chinese delivery man saves dog whose leash got stuck in elevator

The writer also said the residents had tried to seek help from local neighbourhood authorities, who said they could not do much to solve the problem.

In response, an unnamed local official said on Tuesday that the complaint was going through the bureaucratic process and hoped the lift would get installed “as soon as possible”.

The building in question is an old complex in Nanjing, so it falls under unique urban development guidelines that make lift installation more complicated than in newer buildings.

The official cited a document that said lift installations need to consider the environment, safety, autonomy of residents and “enhancement of harmony”.

The guidelines also said the lift installation needs to be agreed upon by all residents in a democratic manner.