New York's top law enforcer says a property manager's lock-change tactics have officially backfired.
On Friday, July 24, 2026, New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office secured restitution for New York City renters after property manager Spigro Management allegedly changed apartment locks while residents were not home in an attempt to force them out. James called the move a breach of tenants' trust and safety and said the attorney general's office stepped in to make affected renters whole. The announcement appeared as a post on the attorney general's social account.
Spigro Management violated the trust and safety of New York City tenants by illegally changing their locks while they were not home in an attempt to evict residents.
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) July 24, 2026
These actions are as sinister as they are shameful. Now, we're getting restitution for these tenants.
James says tenants were illegally locked out
As posted on X, the attorney general said Spigro Management "violated the trust and safety of New York City tenants" by changing locks while people were away and that her office obtained restitution for impacted households, according to X. The post included the line "These actions are as sinister as they are shameful" and framed the recovery as part of the office's broader tenant-protection work.
Why changing locks is illegal
New York City bars so-called "self-help" evictions. Replacing or disabling a tenant's lock without a court-issued warrant is prohibited, and tenants can report illegal lockouts to police or Housing Court, according to the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The city's unlawful-eviction statute also exposes landlords to criminal and civil penalties, with Class A misdemeanor exposure and per-day civil fines for violators, as set out in NYC Administrative Code §26-523.
How tenants can respond
Anyone who finds their door lock changed without a marshal or court warrant is facing what the law treats as an illegal lockout, not a landlord "misunderstanding." Tenants who fear for their safety are advised to contact police and then move quickly to pursue an emergency illegal-lockout petition in Housing Court to seek rapid restoration of access, tenant advocates say.
Legal guides recommend documenting the lockout with photos or videos, getting names and contact information for any witnesses, and preserving all communications with management. Acting fast to file in court can help secure restoration and potential damages. For step-by-step guidance on restoration and remedies, see the memo from Mobilization for Justice.
About Spigro Management
Spigro Management LLC is a New York-registered property manager with a Brooklyn mailing address listed in public business records and appears to manage multiple residential properties around the city. Company listings provide basic corporate details but do not substitute for court or agency filings; state business records and local profiles supply registration and contact information. For background on the firm's registration and local listing, consult NY company filings and the business profile at the BBB.
What this could mean for other landlords
The attorney general's action follows a string of tenant-protection enforcement moves from the Office of the Attorney General in recent years, signaling continued scrutiny of managers who use aggressive self-help tactics. The Office of the Attorney General has previously coordinated with city agencies to secure recoveries and penalties in landlord misconduct cases, as detailed in past OAG press materials. See related enforcement work in prior New York Attorney General press releases.
For now, the AG's social post is the clearest public notice of the outcome. The office may follow with fuller documents or filings that spell out how much was recovered and how many households were affected. Tenants who believe they were impacted can consult the resources above or seek legal aid to explore emergency restoration and damages claims.
