cannot remove check to turn off account lockout

For some reason when I go into the microsoft local computer console and bring up the Account lockout duration properties, the timed lockout is greyed out and I cannot change it. The same applies for the Account Lockout threshold properties. I need to turn this off.
The old system admin has left our employ and I am not totally sure how the Group policies are set up around here.
We are running win2k3 server sp2, it is running our backup DC, also running dns, and our a/v console