Locksmith Rekeying

Is it possible to rekey a lock without removing it?

Just bought a new condo. State law says that all locks must be changed/rekeyed and paid for by the buyer (and I paid for the change/rekey). I found out later that the locks themselves had never been removed and the locksmith is claiming that he rekeyed the locks without doing so.
It's a Westlock...round cylinder.

it depends on the lock... some lock cylinders can be removed from the lock with a special "Control" key... of you look at the cylinder and it looks like an "8" then it's the type of cylinder that can be removed without removing the whole knob assembly. Generally, removable cylinder locks are not the types found at DIY Home centers... they are much more expensive and are usually installed by highly trained locksmiths.

Additional Info: There is another way to rekey a lock without removing it from the door. When you originally pin the lock, you can add tiny little balls that act like normal masterkey wafers. Then, when you use the correct control key, you turn the cylinder the opposite direction and the tiny balls fall into little dimples in the surface of the barrel, when the cylinder is then returned to its original position and the control key is removed, the lock now has a new combination. This is a one-time procedure that takes alot of original preparation to make happen correctly... I would believe that they rekeyed your lock without removing it from the door.

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