All the lien releases I have seen have a section to write in any disputed or outstanding payment amounts.Not, every state works the same, but should have a similar process available to consumers and contractors to have mutual protection from the other.  

@Assaf Furman based on how you are describing this scenario is sounds like this incident should be reported to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

But don't put too much reliance on them, we also had someone who was terminally ill co-sign, so we didn't have one for long.Do all of the accounts in question look like consumer debt, not a third party (landlord)?  

I've always had an interest in REI and I'm finally taking the steps to begin my investing journey.I’ve been a BP member for close to two months now and have been excitedly reading and consuming as much of the content the site has to offer.

Consistently consume as much REI information as possible over a few months and then see if it's something you still want to pursue.

I am a very good saver and dont consume much, so either way I can save money.Feel free to ask me anymore questions about my unique situation and I will reply asap. 

Also, getting 3 bids for all work would be very time consuming and inconvenient for tenants. 

Once you put a tenant in the property it starts to look like a consumer loan, which screws up their ability to charge higher fees/rates.Two suggestions, 1) It's kinda like your 10th grade science class experiment, in that you want to "get the big rocks in first."  

Many creditors or debt collectors will file a lawsuit against the consumer even though they are aware that the statute of limitations has expired on the case…or, they did not have any idea because they had no records of when the account became a charge off.

I am looking to polish up and enhance my negotiation skills.