Unset child object static variable from abstract parent class php - php

Question

I am using Laravel and it's Validators.
I have the following code in my controller:
class ResellerController extends BaseController{
public function add() {
//some code before
$userValidator = new App\Services\Validators\UserCreateValidator();
//HERE I WANT TO REMOVE THE company KEY FROM THE RULES IN THE USERS CREATE VALIDATOR
$userValidator->removeRule('company');
//code execution continues
}
}
The UserCreateValidator extends a parent Validator class:
namespace App\Services\Validators;
class UserCreateValidator extends Validator {
public static $rules = array(
'firstName' => 'required',
'lastName' => 'required',
'email' => 'required|email|unique:users',
'company' => 'required'
);
}
And here is the base Validator class:
namespace App\Services\Validators;
abstract class Validator {
/**
* Validation rules
* #var array
*/
public static $rules;
//THIS CODE DOES NOT WORK IN THE CONTROLLER UP
public static function removeRule($ruleKey){
if(is_array($ruleKey))
{
foreach($ruleKey as $key)
{
if(!array_key_exists($key, static::$rules)) continue;
unset(static::$rules[$key]);
}
return true;
}
if(!array_key_exists($ruleKey, static::$rules)) //return false;
unset(static::$rules['company']);
return true;
}
}
The unsettting of the static::$rules[$key] in ResellerController does not work.
I can see in a XDEBUG session (after this line gets executed) that the static::$rules['company'] is still present in the UserCreateValidator as property.
I thought that Late Static Binding should solve this problem?
What is wrong?

Answer 1

The problem is solved. It was in the commented part in the:
if(!array_key_exists($ruleKey, static::$rules)) //return false;
The unsetting is working fine after I uncomment the return false.
Silly mistake :)