Little did I know, that a day or two later word got out and some shady criminal investor who heard about the deal went around my back (and my contract) and got the seller to sign a contract and closed within three days before I even knew a thing.Granted there are many ways to help protect oneself from thieves/criminals like this guy - maintaining a good relationship with the seller, affidavit of memorandum, only shooting out your deals to trustworthy buyers, closing on the deal before your wholesale it, and so forth.

(in this area prothonotary handles civil issues, clerk of courts is for criminal).

I find it rather ironic that landlords are so concerned with approving tenants with a criminal record when they may be going to investor meetings and dealing with other landlords with a prison record!

Unlicensed residential mortgage loan origination activity may subject you to sanctions, administrative penalties, and even criminal charges Let me know if you have other questions

My husband put the man to work on the job for a while, until they found housing.As far as pepper spray, you're asking for a lawsuit or criminal charges for assault, so I'd be careful.

Your best bet is to use the public records available today to landlords which include credit reports, criminal convictions, and eviction history.  

From a regulatory aspect you have risks of criminal activities and large fines and jail is real.

Credit scores aren't a deal breaker for me, but a prior eviction or a criminal record would be.  

What if she decides to add a roommate that is a criminal? 

I used the tenant screening tool provided here on BP "smartmove" It provides a criminal background check, an eviction check and credit check.