They seem to be everywhere: "24 HOUR EMERGENCY LOCKSMITH" stickers.

They're on storefront doors, gates, padlocks, even on the beautifully varnished doors of private homes.

This has been a problem for many years. Recently, several property owners have joined forces to convince authorities that they will no longer stand by while their properties are vandalized on a weekly basis.

Here are just some of the comments made by irate victims:
 

• "... trying to get those damn stickers to stop."

 
• "The neighboring building is putting in all new wooden (very expensive) doors  on.  They aren’t even finished installing them and they had stickers on them.  The neighbors were pretty pissed."

 
• "Every New Yorker is aware of this insidious locksmith sticker problem -- it's scarring effect is evident on doors on nearly every single block in Manhattan."

 
• "These drive me crazy too."

 
• "...how do we enforce the law against these locksmiths?"

 
• "What is the best way to go about getting property properly protected against this annoying and destructive menace?

 
• "The problem now remains about enforcing the law and publicizing the issue such that the public is aware that this practice is not legal and not something which -- as many have obviously assumed -- that they simply must put up with."

 
• "...the sooner these offending locksmiths (and the pool of offenders is a relatively small group) become aware that the placing of these stickers on doors is illegal, the sooner they will cease the practice."
•  
• "My feeling is that they have done so much damage to private property...the penalties should be severe.

 
• "...be prosecuted to the full extent of the law (make an example of them)."

 
• "...should be required to clean off all their stickers in the city..."

 
• "...it is an extremely annoying, ineffectual method of advertising..."

 
• "...they must be stopped!"

 
• "...they have caused damage, certainly visual blight."

 
• "Our neighborhood seems to be infested by the 2770 guy.. I get one from them almost every 4 to 5 days..."

 
• "I cannot protect my own private property from the same scourge?"

 
• "I am so tired of New York locksmiths sticking stickers with their phone numbers on my door and intercom. One locksmith in particular named Nir Rasty (or is it Rasty Nir?) 212 353-1420 has plastered his little round sticker on my door so many times it is a dirty mess. He does this all up and down the block on everyones door.  I have even called him asking him not to stick them on my door and he doesn't stop. I wish you would tell your fellow locksmiths that defacing apartment buildings with their sticky calling cards is not a good way to build business..."

 
• "What would make someone think they can just march up to someone's house and slap a sticker on their doors...?

 
• "...what would make the homeowner call for service after spending some time and energy cleaning the goo off the door?

 
• "...take the bastard to small claims court for the cost of the damage."
 

On to pictures of the damage.
Who are these people? Are they legitimate locksmiths?
Legislation regarding stickers


 
 

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 Last updated 11/26/04