I would advise your friends to 1) notify them that they will not pay for the installment of fences and if they do so, they will do it under your instructions, to avoid breaking HOA regulations, and at their own expense. 2) These don't seem like tenants i would care to have and once this legal battle is taken care of i would not seek to renew the lease.

.• Criminal History - If the applicant has any criminal history (federal, state, county, sex offender, etc.) you do not want them.

Also once a new property is purchased would I be able to run history checks on the current tenants and if they do not meet my qualifications, criminal past, credit issues, things like these, I am required to honor the current agreement? 

Don't know about you but I do not want my deals and business ran through a criminals office.  

Even though the wife doesn't have an income, she could have a nasty criminal record, past evictions, judgments, etc.

I'm not sure who you report it to or what the penalties are (civil or criminal) but she's giving landlords a bad name and should be reported to someone.

I hate criminals and if enough poeople get busted for stealing, it will benefit all of us.

The good hard working men and woman that have a challenged work history or perhaps have a not so colorful background with the criminal justice system.  

-ask contractors/do research about making the carport a garage-tons of fences in the back yard "compartmentalizing" each area - knock some down, open up the yard-gas heater is only facing the living room - consider venting it to other side of wall (into hallway)...or maybe when roof gets done install central air and duct through the roof-drywall the rear (detached) laundry room...make it a living/storage space, build cabinets above the washer/dryer (to store laundry supplies) and put cabinets/shelves to advertise to tenants that there is laundry onsite. 

Not only do they not follow the rules... they do not know the rules... and probably do not know that it is a criminal offense to hold yourself out as a property manager if you are not properly licensed in Ohio.