On the 4th day after I post the 3 day notice, my lawyer files the eviction with the court and at that point, it's usually impossible for the tenant to pay the rent, late fee, court costs (filing fee) and lawyer fee.

I won in the end but it still costs money to win, and she did inspire me to also become a lawyer so I could nail more dishonest scumbags like her, but a lawyer would have had this recorded properly at the outset. 

Lawyer, Agent, ect...

This is no problem.The closer (escrow, title co, lawyer) will just split the fees as you direct them.

You might want to spring for a consultation with your own lawyer if the title company won't support the terms of the contract.

Not a lawyer, so no legal advice here, but if it were me and I felt I'd followed the rules and proper procedures, I'd find a new property manager, I'd get the judgment, and if he did then try to sue me, it would be on record that he did it only after I filed for judgment against him

." - I'm no lawyer but this seems like I cannot just give a 30 day notice whenever I feel unhappy, that I must wait til the end of a contract period and give 30 days notice before the contract is up, just to get out of the contract?

or a RE lawyer can have all these details in a contract to protect me?

This gives ownership privacy and prevents a lawyer looking up everything you own at one click of the mouse. .

Thanks to the state government, Lansing is full of lawyers and consultants.