The house needed some updates but 5 months later Hurricane Ivan destroyed my house therefore I was immediately thrust into the real estate investment reality. 

There are exceptions, if the tenants destroyed entire walls for instance, but the State really does want to work with landlords to make these units safe.

Nobody wants to live next to a mudpit, and neighbors would rather buy it than see it get destroyed.  

LLCs are destroyed everyday, they are not bullet proof in any state.

I don't think I am a big fan of someone who came into my unit, broke the lease, destroyed my unit, took off, and still want to get all the money back.

Tenants who have been screened properly generally will not destroy your property and will usually give you notice, allowing you to market the property while still occupied, have a new tenant lined up ready to go, and move them in very soon after the prior tenant leaves.  

You could get a tenant that moves in and decides not to pay again and proceeds to destroy the property.  

A remodel was started but abandoned, it's sat for five years, the roof leaks and has now destroyed the ceiling.

I want it to hurt enough to incentivize timely payment, but to be reasonable enough not to destroy my relationship with a tenant when I charge it.

Somebody tell me how to get back at these morons for destroying deals with incorrect information.