But then we have to get into talking about the passive loss rules, which may prevent you from actually being able to claim a tax loss if the deduction is more than your rental or other passive income.Or you can claim the actual expenses (gas, insurance, etc) for the vehicle and regular depreciation, proportioned by the percent of business use of the vehicle.  

I also remember a time when we could claim a dependent on our tax returns even if the dependent didn't have a SSN. 

You got some solid advice above check with your lender and get in contact with an attorney like @Bob Floss II who can help setup the OA.Assuming there is no pushback from your lender, you should be able to do a quit claim deed to retitle. 

You can try small claims court, but nothing is enforceable, so it is mostly a waste of your time...and some of the problematic tenants know this.I agree with Jill, if they do make payments, take cash or money orders-no cheques.

The other groups I'm in are always reporting the difficulties of getting claims paid for.    

My lender suggested moving a multi-family from my personal name to an LLC immediately post-closing via quit claim deed.

That said, we have not made a claim up until the fire. 2.

This way they can't claim ignorance.I would also require a move out inspection and make it the day after they are supposed to be moved out. 

As long as you're filing jointly, both meeting the 2 yr use test, and either meeting the ownership test, then the full $500k can be claimed. 

Assuming your property is in Utah (like your profile indicates), here's the state law from a basic internet search:In Utah, a tenant who abandons a rental property without notice is liable for the lesser of the following: The rent remaining on the leaseThe rent plus the difference between the fair rental value and the agreed-upon rentThe cost to restore the property to its original conditionThe landlord can also remove the tenant's belongings and sell them if the tenant doesn't claim them within a reasonable time.