i think 5 minutes with an AC grinder to get through an M18 is a an optimistic estimate. we're talking about two cuts through the shackle. that's likely to consume (at least) one disc per cut.

thanks for your sympathy...

first of all, "abandoned" is not consistent with "being used several times per week". if you want to determine if locks are abandoned, put some tape over the key-hole. check back a few weeks later. if the tape is gone, the locks are NOT abandoned.

saying the locks were "abandoned" is the logic of a bike-thief who rationalizes their theft by saying "someone just left a bike here. no one's sitting on it, so it's obviously abandoned." yeah, that's a common excuse when bike thieves are caught, and it's just as sociopathic when you apply the same logic to locks on a rack.

since the locks were (a) not in anyone's way, (b) no one complained to any of the tenants, (c) the landlord/pm claims to not know anything about it, it's odd.

add to the above the simple fact that it is, for all practical purposes, (d) impossible to remove an M18 without destroying it; so theft (in and of itself) isn't likely to be the simple answer - even if someone wanted to destroy the padlock and steal the chain, the M18 should still be there.

i actually AM a bit surprised. especially in a city where i've seen locks that have been really abandoned for years, tied up to racks, parking meters, signs, etc.

of course, the landlord/pm now says that he would've checked with the tenants before removing any locks... well, no ****, that'd be the Right Thing To Do™.