BMW's, beach sand and LA Lockies....

Hello All, Just got back from vacationing in California for about 6 days-kinda was'nt long enough, but got other business to tend to.

I had taken a few tools with me as I never travel without them.Happens that my Sis in LA had an 86 BMW with a passenger door lock that could'nt be operated with the key.When I had talked to her over the phone previously, she told me she though that the key was not going in all the way.

Got to work on it.Had to pull the trim off and remove the lock.I decided that I should go buy a few blanks.The locksmith I went to told me he could not sell uncut blanks and that if he did, he would end up in jail. When I showed him my ALOA Card, he said the owner of the shop was not there and could not be reached.

I then suggested that he take a few X144 blanks and make a small cut next to the shoulder.That way he would not be selling an uncut key.

He agreed and sold me these blanks. I found out later the culprit was typical beach sand.Blasted it with WD-40(Only thing I had), then got a can of airblast, like you use on a computer and blew it out several times then left it set overnight with the drain hole down.I figure the WD-40 should dry up before too long-then my bro-in-law can put some graphite in it.Works fine.

Does anybody know what the law is in Cali regarding the selling of uncut blanks?

TIA, goma.

Reply to
goma865
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No prohibition at the state level, but LA might have some ordinance but I doubt it. IIRC they do have some rule about stamping your name on duplicate keys.

Reply to
Roger Shoaf

There's no law or ordinance against buying or possessing blanks in Ca or LA.

However, California Penal Code 466 talks about lots of things that are a lot of things that are illegal to posses (burglar tools) WITH INTENT to break or enter (burglary) and lists lots of items, keys, picks, etc.

We had a series of burglaries where there was no evidence of forced entry but brass filings were found by the victims' doors. One of the patrol officers stopped a guy in an alley behind a business of the type that were getting hit and found key blanks, along with an impressioning file on him. In this case a key blank was a burglary tool.

Another guy was arrested with burglary tools, marshmallows that he used to fill in the strikes so latches wouldn't engage, leaving the door open.

Showing intent is the key (no pun intended) in determining if something is a burglar tool.

Skip

Reply to
Skip

I'm going to have to remember this one! It's the best example I've seen of:

Reply to
Henry E Schaffer
<snip>NO OFF.

I might think twice about marshmallows-LMAO-thanks you guys for your info.

later, goma

Reply to
goma865

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