Eviction lockout movers who are on site before the deputy.
You wait weeks for a sheriff date. Do not lose it to a crew that shows up late or too small. Gorilla Movers stages a right-sized crew for the lockout window, packs and inventories belongings, and holds them in our own warehouse for the 15-day reclaim period.
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Gorilla Movers runs sheriff lockout crews across San Diego County. We stage the truck and crew on site before the window printed on the Notice to Vacate, wait for the deputy to restore possession, then photograph every room, separate trash from personal property, pack and inventory what has to be held, and haul the rest. Held goods go into sealed vaults in our 75,000 sq ft Miramar warehouse for the 15-day reclaim period the writ allows, with the tenant reclaiming at our dock by appointment. Billed hourly by crew size or as a Not-to-Exceed price, Net-30 for management companies. Call 619-600-5000.
On a lockout, most of what is in the unit is still legally the tenant's.
Junk haulers dump. That is the whole service, and on a lockout it is the wrong one. Until the reclaim period runs out, the belongings in that unit still belong to the former tenant, and the person who threw them in a truck is the person you will be explaining in a claim. You need a crew that wraps, inventories and stores things as though they are going back, because they might.
We are a licensed household goods carrier with our own W-2 crews, our own trucks and our own warehouse, so the chain of custody never leaves our hands between your unit and the vault.
How big a crew the unit actually needs.
A crew that is too small turns a one-day lockout into two. A starting point, before we look at photos:
| Unit | Typical crew | Trucks |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | 3 movers | 1 |
| 1 bedroom | 4 movers | 1 |
| 2 bedroom | 5 to 6 movers | 1 to 2 |
| 3+ bedroom or packed unit | 6 to 8 movers | 2 |
Final crew size is set from photos or a walkthrough. Tell us what you could see through the door and we will size it, including a second truck when the volume calls for one.
The 15-day hold, handled.
The writ gives the former tenant 15 days from the day you take possession to reclaim their belongings. We keep everything in sealed vaults in our 75,000 sq ft Miramar warehouse, schedule the pickup at our dock so your on-site staff never has to supervise it, collect a signed release, and send you the storage ledger that supports the reasonable storage costs you are allowed to charge. When the period ends we carry out your instruction: dispose, donate, or prepare the property for public sale.
Gorilla Movers is not a law firm. We work at the direction of your attorney or your management policy, and this summary is general information, not legal advice.
Read the California hold rulesWhat happens on lockout day.
Night before
The crew lead confirms the window, gate codes, parking and elevator with your on-site contact.
Staged early
Truck, crew, pads and wardrobe boxes in place before the lockout window opens.
Deputy restores possession
We wait for the all-clear, then photograph every room before anything moves.
Pack, sort, inventory
Property wrapped and logged item by item. Trash and debris bagged separately.
Out the same day
Held goods to our Miramar vaults, trash to the landfill, unit broom-clean for your turn.
What does it cost? Straight answers.
Lockout crew questions, answered.
What if the crew isn't ready when the deputy arrives?
How big a crew do I need for a lockout?
Do you pack items or just remove them?
Can you change the locks?
How is lockout work billed?
San Diego keeps calling us back. 4.8★ across 341 Google reviews.
“Genuinely honest and hardworking people at this company. You couldn't ask for a better service and well worth it. Absolutely indicative of their already glowing reviews!!!”
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“Alonzo and Alexis were excellent. They knew exactly what they were doing and were very careful in all the details they performed. They were quick and efficient and very professional in all their duties. They responded well to questions and any changes made. Couldn’t have had two better people help us with our move. Wonderful!”
“Raul and his team were excellent. Not only did he guide the entire process of loading my belongs into the PODS, he went above and beyond to help me organize my things and make sure everything was loaded properly. I would certainly recommend Gorilla Movers and specifically, Raul, again. Thank you to everyone at Gorilla Movers, from start to finish!!”
“Great Staff, Easy to communicate, professional, great with our commercial moving items.”
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“Raul and his crew were very professional. They were quick and polite. 100% would hire them again.”
“Excellent workers great customer service 10/10 amazing”
“I had a fantastic experience with Gorilla Movers! The crew was professional, punctual, and handled all of my belongings with great care. They worked efficiently, communicated clearly throughout the move, and made what could have been a stressful day feel easy and organized. Nothing was damaged, and they went above and beyond to make sure everything was placed exactly where I wanted it. If you're looking for reliable, hardworking movers with excellent customer service, I highly recommend Gorilla Movers. I would definitely use them again!”
“We needed a full-service local move in City Heights San Diego. The team was professional, friendly, and efficient. Our team lead -Raul- was particularly communicative and transparent... but the whole team was awesome. Would definitely use Gorilla again in the future!”
“Gorilla movers did a fantastic job moving my mother in Oceanside. Raul was incredible. From the moment he arrived, he was very strategic in how he would complete the job. I had doubts with all of the stuff we had but trusted his knowledge and experience and he exceeded our expectations! They take care of your items, asked a lot of questions and consistently checked in on if there was anything else they could help with. Raul, not sure if we could have done this move without you!! Thank you so much and than you Gorilla movers!! -Jackie, Marty, and Liz”
“Great move and the crew took tremendous care of our things. All 3 were very nice and went above and beyond.”
“They took such care of my stuff! They were so nice and moved all my stuff in a timely way!”
Got a sheriff date? Lock the crew to it.
Send the Notice to Vacate, the unit and whether items must be held. Written quote within one business hour.
Book a lockout crew