“Spigro callously violated the trust, safety and privacy of occupants by illegally changing their locks while they were not home,” James said in a statement. The office said its investigation confirmed that in at least four cases occupants were illegally locked out. The settlement signed this week requires Spigro Management and Friedman to pay $23,500 in penalties, which will be held in a state fund that helps to pay for affordable housing initiatives. They also have to pay between $1,000 and $1,200 to each of the four people who the AG’s office found were illegally evicted. Between August 2024 and August 2025, New Yorkers were illegally locked out of their homes more than 1,800 times, according to City Council data.