Oh, the joys of being strata secretary.

Tonight, when all I wanted to do is stay inside out of the deluge of rain, I have been down at the industrial complex dealing with a bunch of rain-related issues.

The parking garage gate won't operate properly because water has gotten into the IR beam.

One of the basement drains is overflowing into the car park.

Rainwater is making its way into the fire system control panel and generating a fault condition.

And, while looking around for other issues, I find that all of the letterboxes have been opened and the contents strewn around the immediate vicinity, all now saturated of course. Damn cheap L&F locks that every letter box thief has a master key for. I'll see what I can find on the security footage that may be of use to the police, but obviously we need to get better locks fitted.

Tomorrow, if experience is any guide, I can expect to be inundated with calls about leaking roofs.

No Fan of Strata, but the letter box drama is a bit odd? Particularly in that part of Sydney which does not have those type issues...
Very surprised to hear that.
Kids?

Kids?

More likely an adult with an easily-obtained L&F master key. L&F locks are rubbish:

https://www.locksgalore.com.au/uploads/104/Product/1931/med-round-face-camlock-11mm.jpg

Mail theft is very common in Sydney. Where I live we had the boxes upgraded to Gem type locks which are not master keyed and which are difficult to pick.

Hmm Set a Rat Trap in the box ! He probably does it at 🌃

And yet this rubbish is still standard fitting on letterboxes here ...

QUOTE: Letterbox locks today are dominated by Lowe & Fletcher type key locks which we classify as very low security.

Vulnerabilities of L&F letterbox:

* Keys can be cut by code number shown on the lock should the original be misplaced

* Short mini lock body, 5 disc, 3 depth key cylinders that are easily picked

* All operated by a single master key which can be sold to anyone, no questions asked

You can order L&F locks 'off master', but it is a case of getting what one pays for. They are okay but not really designed for top security.

Most key systems can be 'cut to code', including all registered systems such as Lockwood, Kaba and BiLock. The trick is how public the codes are. Many unregistered systems have the code stamped on the lock but registered systems use a two code set up - one sumply being a unique code to a particular cylinder and the other (containing the HEX number that instructs the key duplicating machine to cut the correct depth codes) only available in the lock and key schedules set up by the locksmith.

As for heavy rain like what we've had this weekend, if your building was built in the last 30 years, has parapets, cliplock roofing or inboard box gutters, tomorrow morning will be a busy one. I know that is what I have to look forward to.

You can order L&F locks 'off master'

Regardless, L&F is on my do-not-ever-buy list. You can do a whole lot better than that junk for letter boxes.

The secure locks at the complex are on a private Abloy scheme. The keys cost $50 each, require two signatures on the authorisation to cut form and only one locksmith is authorised to cut them.

Those look like the locks found on lockers. Each key and lock has the number stamped on it. I assume it's the same.

If letterboxes are being invaded, it could be identity thieves.

L&F locks are on most of that sort of thing - letterboxes, lockers and even the familiar Brownbuilt took cabinets. When I was at school we (me and my classmates) would pick each other's locks and sometimes put the stopwatch on the task to see who was the better 'criminal'. They can be picked with a paperclip. Again though, it's a case of getting what one pays for, though as I found out about five years ago - as locks only keep honest people out - our letter boxes have L&F locks but the ID thief didn't have the time to pick them - he just broke the doors to the boxes with a crow bar. Following that, to express his dismay at finding nothing of importance, he threw the opened mail into the stairwell and took off.

I ended up with a PO Box as the rural mail where locks on letter boxes could be curse, were regularly ratted, mainly looking for cheques. Never unusual to find a neighbours mail miles from the letter box. Kids on bikes were the worst offenders during school holidays however, they have got lazy & spend most time texting & cheques have gone to a trickle.

Sorry to hear about your problems GTC

Sorry to hear about your problems GTC

Dealing with this stuff comes with the territory. But I generally prefer them one at a time.

Interesting, I never knew that YouTube is full of videos on how to pick locks of all types until about 2 weeks ago. I was surfing the tube and I saw them
I never worry about thefts. I never think about it at all. I don't seem to come across those types. When was 18 I bought a motorcycle and it stolen from the back of my mum's Tea room shop. I had only owned it for about 2 weeks. The cops found it at the bottom of a cliff with a Jaguar on top of it out on Crosslands.
But that's only time I have been unlucky.
My dear or mum was glad, but disappointed when I then bought myself a Honda Boldor CB 900..
It was a beauty and I worked the motor and it would do 240klm with my light weight on it..no bikes ,I gave them up 4 years ago now...miss them very much as I've ridden all my life .
Pete

I've used a PO box for about twenty years. That's pretty much the only way to ensure identity theft isn't a problem. If the postie is the one putting his hands in the drawer, that's gunna happen no matter where one's mail is delivered but it stops others doing it.

If the postie is the one putting his hands in the drawer, that's gunna happen no matter where one's mail is delivered but it stops others doing it.

... or the postie can't read addresses properly. I just accidentally opened a letter addressed to a neighbour containing their new credit card. Postie must be dyslexic. Got the house numbers back to front. I'll have to door knock to apologise and explain.

And I have just viewed CCTV vision of the maggots who rifled through the business boxes at 2am. Images are probably too grainy to be of much use to cops, but I heard today from a business neighbour that they hit the whole street.