Depending on the nature of the relationship he had with the deceased, he may actually find it offensive that all you care at this point is your rental. 

Cultivate relationships where referrals become a natural part of your interactions.

And you have to be comfortable asking people to do something they may not be naturally inclined to do.  

So if you are like me, the hair on the back of your neck stands up with that info. 

As long as the amount of segregated 1245 property in the replacement property is fundamentally equivalent in amount and nature to that of the relinquished property.

There are lots of flaws with the argument though:1.By nature STRs do not have long term contracts with their "tenants".2.  

It was not a newly constructed fence to increase the value of the property; rather, it was a replacement for an old, damaged fence due to nature disaster. 

@Noelle MastelottoColumbus definitely gets all 4 seasons and thankfully no natural disasters which is good.

Transitioning into hard money lending is a natural step given your experience.

Most likely the state where the property is located is where lawsuits would be brought if they are something for personal injury like a trip and fall or something of that nature because the “cause of action” arose in that state.