Start by trying to keep it civil.

consulting  a civil right attorney is probably your best bet.

@Alex Peters- Following this thread for additional ideas, but here are my thoughts:check bank account statements to make sure they have adequate reservescheck court records to assess litigation activity - both for the business entity and its principalsbusiness credit reportDo they have experience with other properties in Joshua Tree? 

Most of these if anything are civil penalties which never goes back to the investor.

Likely you can get those plans with a records request from the municipality where this property is located.You'll need to get surveyor, architect, and civil engineer on board earlier than later. 

This circumvents HR, which usually just sends me to The Work Number, one of the most useless companies since the establishment of western civilization.

If you do not live in that state, you will need the services of a registered agent, easy to find online.The reason for creating the LLC in the state where the property is located is that you will be permitted to use the courts in that state if you need to initiate litigation.  

I think it's a shame that fear of litigation often prevents consumers from sharing information with each other.

A couple of weeks ago he went down for his grandmother's funeral, and came back with the rest of his family because it's about to descend into civil war.  

“Force Majeure” means: hurricanes, floods, extreme weather, earthquakes, fires, or other acts of God, unusual transportation delays, wars, insurrections, civil unrest, or acts of terrorism, governmental actions and mandates, government shut downs, epidemics, or pandemics, which, by exercise of reasonable diligent effort, the non-performing party is unable in whole or in part to prevent or overcome.