Unless the $50. is make-or-break then what's the harm?

To Mike's point, it can also harm your ability to move on with a new partner who probably will not be thrilled to learn that you're still financially involved with your ex... 

My fat fingers do more harm than good on this galaxy S5......damn!

There is no harm if you issue a 1099.

We don’t know any PMCs to recommend in the area mentioned, but since selecting the wrong PMC is usually more harmful than selecting a bad tenant, you might want to read our series about “How to Screen a PMC Better than a Tenant”:https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91877-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-1-services-and-processesWe recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.

But it was pretty scary knowing that some of these people did not have a lot to lose and they could easily come down to my door and cause a great deal of harm to me persoanlly or property wise.

What's the harm, right?

If they decide to get a new pet then no harm no issues.

Take your pick, from pork bellies too mortgages, so to speak of the risk factor there is like saying it's headline news that starring into the sun can harm your eyes. 

I think there are steps you can take down either path that could be helpful or harmful.