Even if the structure is implemented/structured properly, if you don't follow the rules in maintaining the structure you risk having the IRS collapse the structure and taxing your retirement funds as if they were distributed to you (with penalties added for good measure.).  

Yes, it's collapsing.

.; a massive '08-style collapse in prices), as well as best-case dream scenarios...however, MOST of my projection models focus on fairly modest outcomes (such as 2-4% property appreciation, 2-4% rent growth, etc.).

There are several things you must do to keep a the DST from being pierced or having the Series structure collapse so that the court would treat all of the Series as one, instead of separate.

How about one of those collapsible rope-ladder type fire escapes?

Up until that point, the market was so unstoppable, a plan was borderline irrelevant.We set out to stabilize and sell, not knowing the world around us would soon be collapsing.

We gave a 7k reduction to our excellent owner financed tenant due to declines in the market and the well collapsing after 4 years and my CPA did not ask for 1099C information on the tenant for that loss hhmmm.

And generally, when we met them they were teetering on total collapse.

This created all sorts of problems, mostly because there was no centralized control over the asset, and also because there was a lack of alignment of interest on the part of the sponsors--and even some corruption--so the TIC industry earned itself a very bad reputation after the market collapse a decade or so ago.The DST concept was a response to the downsides of the TIC structure. 

Look at the IMF and what they are doing to prop up economies that should fail and then rebuild.The next big collapse will not be due to past mistakes.