Legal Question

[sisk]

I'm not new here, but I've not been around for a while. I have a legal/ethical question.

I've got a storage unit which, like most storage units I guess, has two hasps: one for my lock and one so that the storage place can lock me out if I don't pay my bill. I went to get into it tonight to find a second lock on the unit (and yes, I am up to date on my payments). One angry call to the owner of the storage place later and it turns out the lock is not his. It seems that some prankster has decided to lock me out of my storage unit (along with half a dozen others, apparently).

So here's the question: can I ethically and legally remove this lock, or do I need to wait for the owner to get around to coming out with his angle grinder. It's a Master #40, so I definitely CAN remove it, but would it be ethical? On the one hand it was placed illegally on a space that I'm renting, but on the other hand that second hasp literally exists so I can be locked out, so I'm not sure. It'll definitely take me a lot less time and effort that it'd take the owner since I'd be attacking the weakest part of the lock and he'd be attacking the strongest.

Second question, since he'd apparently rather come out and spend his own time on each of the units that's locked out with an angle grinder than hire a locksmith, would it be ethical for me to offer to remove the others for him while I'm at it in return for keeping the locks? Normally I wouldn't dream of taking the business away from the local locksmiths like that, but in this case they won't be getting the business anyway.

[Squelchtone]

tricky.

Do not admit you are a hobby picker. If sh*t goes missing from a unit, you'll be top of the list. As far as that other lock, that's fair game to pick or cut since it is not the owners locks and someone's playing games.

I wonder what the purpose is of someone double locking units... that's unusual. We had a break here in town where bad guys came in on quads down the train tracks, cut the back fence, and got into 40 to 50 units, which seems to be the opposite of your problem unless someone is marking units they want to get into.

for reference https://www.masslive.com/news/2015/11/8 ... tolen.html

if anything, let the owner come and start to get his equipment out if you can happen to also be there in person and then say something like, you know, my wife knowns I'm into James Bond stuff and she got me a novelty pick set on amazon and I bet I could jiggle this lock open, mind if I try for a minute to save you some time? If I can't open it then we'll cut it off.

That's what I would try
Squelchtone

[sisk]

unless someone is marking units they want to get into

They'd be pretty far out of luck on mine if that was their goal. My lock is a hardened steel hockey puck with an Abloy Sentry core.

I hadn't thought of the complications of telling him I was a hobby lockpicker though. Fortunately I didn't immediately offer to get the picks out for him.

[demux]

As far as that other lock, that's fair game to pick or cut since it is not the owners locks and someone's playing games.

I'd still check with the owner first. It's not uncommon for places like that to have security cameras, or another tenant might walk in and see you doing suspicious looking things with the lock, etc. Even though that lock is not authorized to by there, if someone who doesn't know that sees you trying to remove it on your own and management doesn't know what's going on, it could still be trouble for you...

Like Squelchtone said I probably wouldn't mention picking specifically, but just ask the owner something like "Hey I'm pretty handy, mind if I just go ahead and remove the lock myself and I'll accept responsibility for any damage I may cause to your property along the way?"

[cledry]

unless someone is marking units they want to get into

They'd be pretty far out of luck on mine if that was their goal. My lock is a hardened steel hockey puck with an Abloy Sentry core.

I hadn't thought of the complications of telling him I was a hobby lockpicker though. Fortunately I didn't immediately offer to get the picks out for him.

Aren't they just case hardened?