Emergency Locksmith in Charlotte, NC

What counts as urgent in Charlotte

A lock problem is urgent when it puts a person at risk or leaves a home or business open. In Charlotte, weather decides a lot of that.

• Heat. In NOAA's description, a North Carolina summer is very warm and humid, so a shut-out on a July afternoon is serious, especially for a child, an older adult or a pet. If anyone is in danger, call 911 first.
• Cold and ice. Winters are moderately cold, and freezing rain can glaze a keyway. An iced lock on the only usable door is urgent, but hot water can refreeze inside the cylinder; use a lock de-icer.
• Storms. A storm at hurricane intensity reaches the state about once every three years. A door knocked out of its frame or a lock that no longer latches leaves a building open.

After a break-in

If someone may still be inside, stay out and call 911. Otherwise call the police first, and leave the door and lock as they are until officers have seen them; take photos for your insurance company. Once the police are done, the priority is a door that closes and locks again, even temporarily.

If you rent, tell your landlord in writing as well. Charlotte City Code Sec. 11-45(e)(11) counts a missing operable lock among the conditions that make a unit imminently dangerous.

Excessive pricing after a declared emergency

When a state of emergency, or an abnormal market disruption declared by the Governor, is in effect, G.S. 75-38 bars knowingly charging an unreasonably excessive amount for goods or services used as a direct result of the emergency or to protect people and property. Get the total in writing before work starts, and keep the invoice. The North Carolina Department of Justice takes complaints online; its form for excessive pricing opens only during a state of emergency. This is general information, not legal advice.

Information to include

1. What happened, and a police report number if there is one.
2. Where you are, as exactly as you can: cross streets, or a tower or deck name and level.
3. Which door or lock, and whether it closes at all.
4. Whether anyone at risk is inside or outside.

The emergency locksmith page covers the service; for a plain shut-out, see house lockout.