NO Communication Method w/ Tenant - Covid Related

[NORMAN HAYNES]

I have a ten year tenant at small rental house. ONE Year lease to start but M2M now. Person has been exceptional at making sure rent is paid exactly 1st of month (perhaps obsessed with it) Have had very few problems until Covid became huge issue Feb/March 2020. 

We connected via Craigs List and person had a very good previous landlord reff. and had lived there a long time. Although it was odd to not have a phone I didn't question  about why. I also never asked about car with Canadian license plate. 

I think the not having phone is due to irrational (or rational ?) concern about cell phone "radio waves". I only realized this awhile ago because they didn't want Electric Company to install NEW "Smart Meter" and I had to explain that wasn't their decision to make. A lot of people think those meters are a health hazard I guess. 

Neither thing was ever an issue until Covid. Person left 8 rent checks on the kitchen counter with a note saying "going to live with a friend will return when safe" Person left all their belongings and I have had no contact with them since. When the 8 checks were cashed by November 2020 they began sending checks in US Funds drawn on Scotiabank in Vancouver BC Canada. Envelope had Canada stamps & NO return address. I am holding one of those checks right now for FEB 2021 rent but considering NOT depositing it. 

Obviously person is in Vanvouver BC area now. Person is current on rent and also current on paying two utilities and keeping rather large credit amts at said utilities. 

I have contacted Scotiabank and they said they would try to verbally tell Person to contact me in some way. I don't know if that will work.

The problem is only that it is extremely unusual to not communicate in any way to tell me where they are or a specific or at least estimated return to USA time. It has been an entire year now and Covid doesn't look like its going away! Libraries are closed so Email  goes unanswered. Obviously I made huge errors NOT asking  why no phone, Why a Canadian plate on car & also I did ask about emergency contact info but person never responded to that. 

SO WHAT TO DO NOW? I may want to sell this house soon since I am over 60. WA state Gov seems to be extending eviction/ rent increase moratorium indefinantly now and also cracking down even harder on Landlords. Now a 60 DAY notice is required to SELL or RE-Occupy rental properties. ALSO a new required "Affidavit" has to be signed and they don't tell you how to do that or provide the form so Probably a $100 -$300 expense for an Attorney to decide what and how on that! ALSO if tenant can't be found to "serve a notice directly to them" the process will become pretty much same as an eviction (I think / not sure) and will cost thousands to do it legally! 

Have tried everything I can think of to find this person thru social media etc but no luck. I plan to write letters and maybe even hire a Private Investigator in Van BC area. 

Perhaps the easiest cheapest way out (for ME) would be to sell to someone who will assume the rental contract. Problem is they could decide to Terminate/ Evict and this person might loose all her belongings. I can't do that to someone. I would store their things in my own garage for a year if necessary. Because they asked me to bring the mail inside and put it in a box & also have run the hot water once in awhile & kept heat to keep from freezing etc etc I can't help but see obvious signs of "issues" that lead me to believe person may be highly sensitive to an issue like Covid and act in ways that 9 of 10 people might not act such as NOT realizing it is NOT ok to  have ZERO communication for a year. Just doesn't realize or think about it. 

Have talked to a few attorneys and they don't all seem to have the exact same way they would handle situation. 

Any advice? Should I just go corporate "hard ball" and not worry about what happens to them like loosing belongings? I let former tenants at same house talk me into having two dogs and I even put up a little fence to be nice. HARD lesson learned. People that seemed really nice left w/o cleaning anything and I had to do a LOT of repairs such as replace drywall etc to return to being able to rent. NO Pets EVER since then.

I don't think I could have foreseen this situation coming though! I also don't think this person is intentionally not communicating. I think they are probably concentrating on other issues and simply don't realize the implications of being out of contact for an entire year! 

Thanks for any advice, opinions.