Well I asked you moralizers to spare me, but you couldn’t resist. Be happy that I cannot zot. This is nothing new. I know how to get him out if it really came to that — sell the house.
Sorry you are getting grief when just asking for help and ideas from fellow FReepers. Hopefully you will get something useful from some of the responses. I tend to agree with the concept that his property has been stolen, and to push the police or call the local DA’s office about filing criminal charges.
Look, I hope it is not the case and your buddy does not stiff you, but I used to own aparmtment buildings. I had tenants who could not pay.
The sincere ones WORKED for me to pay off the rent (there is always painting or cleaning or something to be done...)
The ones who did not pay and did not make it good all fell into another category- deadbeats
once again... I hope you are NOT going to experience that, if you do I will be the first to apologize- if you promise to come back and tell us if we were right.