Locks

[mymimis]

What is the name of your state? CA
Los Angeles

Just a question:
I live in a building owned/managed by orthodox Jews.
When I first moved in, I ACCIDENTALLY locked myself out of my apartment on a Friday evening around 7:00pm. I couldn't get in touch with the owner/manager because it was the Sabbath. (I'm not Jewish.) Now, considering this was an emergency, I needed to get back into the apartment so one of my neighbors suggested I call a locksmith to come and pick it.
Well I did and of course he couldn't open it, so he changed out the cylinder on the bottom lock and gave me a new key. (Cost was 200-) Now there are TWO keys instead of one to open the front door.
My intention was NOT to keep out my landlord, but to get back INTO my apartment. I know in the lease there is written that I was not to change locks without prior consent, but as I mentioned before, due to circumstances beyond my control, I had NO choice but to call a locksmith.
Anyway, could the landlord be difficult about this?

Thanks

 

[CA LL]

Did you immediately give your LL a copy of the new key? And yes you made alterations without their approval so they could be upset by this but the best you can do is either give them a key or rekey all locks now to match the old one if possible.

FYI you mentioning their religion is completely inappropriate! And has NOTHING to do with anything you posted! Where they are was NONE of your business and think about it...if you OWNED a house and locked yourself out...umm..who would you call? Hide a key for yourself next time.

 

[HuAi]

would've been cheaper to break a window!

 

[Zigner]

would've been cheaper to break a window!

Ain't that the truth!

 

[CMLANDLORD]

Yes, the landlord can be difficult about this. Your only option is to provide the landlord with the new key ASAP and explain what happened. Most (not all) landlords should be understanding about the situation. Since he/shedidn't have to pay for the new lock and you immediately notified him/her and provided him/her with a new key, things should be ok. However, your landlord CAN find you in violation of the lease for changing out the lock w/out his prior knowledge regardless of what situation you were in. Until you notify the landlord, no one can know how he/she will react.

 

[Who's Liable?]

Did you immediately give your LL a copy of the new key? And yes you made alterations without their approval so they could be upset by this but the best you can do is either give them a key or rekey all locks now to match the old one if possible.

Correct... They now need to provide a copy of the key to the LL.

FYI you mentioning their religion is completely inappropriate! And has NOTHING to do with anything you posted!

There was nothing inappropriate about there post. The LL's religion DOES have to do with the OPs post... While the OP did not bring up their religion as a slam against the LL, they brought it up as a reason WHY they could not access their unit. It is NOT the OPs fault the LL is an Orthodox Jew, nor are they criticizing them for it. They merely brought the point up because on the day they had their emergency it just so happened to be the sabbath which is STRICTLY observed by some faiths.
The LL, whether a catholic, jewish, christian, etc. needs to provide the tenants with access to their apartments. This does not mean they need to bend over backwards to serve their tenants, but they DO need to provide an alternate way of accessing tenants apartments on the days they KNOW they will not be accessible themselves. Like an on-site maintenance personnel OR some other emergency contact number for personnel to attend to tenant needs.

 

[Some Random Guy]

FYI you mentioning their religion is completely inappropriate! And has NOTHING to do with anything you posted!

Well CA is just too dang politically correct for me. the religion reference was pertinent to the story because it made it clear that there was absolutely no way to reach the LL. The LL's religion is not some horrible secret which must be hidden at all costs. It's just a part of who he is.

 

[FarmerJ]

Even some non orthodox Jewish do consider answering the phone during sabath to be WORK. If the subject comes up a easy way to apologize is first with a duplicate key , second would be to even offer to pay to have the LL re key the lock again IF it was part of a mastered lock system. AND politely suggest they ask a close /nearby friend who could become a sabath day contact person who can come to there home to inform them of the problem. THey might not be happy with that suggestion too BUT they must realise that even on the sabath if a emergency comes up someone must be able to tell them what is going on. Im sure they would get over it but see the logic in it , hell it could have been a water pipe that burst or worse like a fire. So this way atleast its covered. The might even be appreciative of your new understanding regarding work and sabath day. Ive known a wonderful jewish lady , she and her husband& family held that even handling money during sabath was work and was to be avoided. SO her son would go to see a movie with his friends during the sabath and he had placed with them his ticket money the day before as simple way of getting it taken care of.

 

[ecmst12]

When OP calls the landlord on Saturday night or Sunday to explain the situation, LL should be understanding because they WERE unreachable, and tenant needed to get back into his apartment. Making tenant wait until the next day to get into apartment because LL was unavailable (for WHATEVER reason actually) would have been unreasonable. Now I've known some crazy Jews in my life (actually I'm related to most of them!) but they'd have to be totally nuts to do more then ask for a copy of the new key and have done with it.

 

[Alaska landlord]

For 200.00 you could have stayed at the HIlton overnignt.

 

[mymimis]

Hilton

Yes, it would have been cheaper to rent a hotel room, however, I didn't have my handbag with me at the time.... it was securely locked in my apartment along with my keys.

 

[mymimis]

Well CA is just too dang politically correct for me. the religion reference was pertinent to the story because it made it clear that there was absolutely no way to reach the LL. The LL's religion is not some horrible secret which must be hidden at all costs. It's just a part of who he is.

Thank you and the other people who actually did NOT misunderstand my post.