I work as part of a facilities team on a large site.
We do a bike clear out on an annual basis, however, we give fair warning (6 weeks) and any bike removed are kept for a further 6 weeks (in case the owner comes looking)
In terms of locks, we send several site wide emails, and all (old and rusty locks) are labelled with a letter of intention.
To be fair, if someone suggested that I remove there lock accidentally, I would generally go-ahead and replace it as a gesture of good will anyhow, as £30-£60 for a new lock in terms of our budget is not a lot of money for us to absorb.
I think your facilities team needs a lesson in customer service and good will!!!!