Something that started with this a couple of years ago (my house on the right)Has turned into the removal of the fence separating the two properties (by the owner of the truck) which leaves me losing the foot of space between the privacy fence and the boundary fence.Mitigating circumstances - the guy that owns the truck has a history of violent crime (kidnapping, sexual assault on a child, assaulting a police officer, etc., etc.) and my interactions with him have resulted in schizophrenic ramblings (i.e. the Vatican owns my property, all financial transactions are routed through the city of London, etc.)I spoke with an attorney from this forum (a terrific help) earlier this week and I am weighing my options...the best being a 4 foot retaining wall along the property line with a 6 foot permitted fence to the front of the house. 

I do at some point tell them to their face, if they get violent then I have a right to defend myself.

We do not accept anyone with an eviction, violent conviction, or a reported instance of not having paid their rent.I do not see a need for a criteria above 3X.

I went and walked around there a couple months back and there are some very interesting signs of growth.Boyle Heights has had some issues gentrifying, because anytime people come in and open these new-age millennial shops, the citizens react defiantly, sometimes even violently.

Proper screening, at a minimum, reduces the chance of dealing with violent criminals. 

I am from England, so my questions might be culturally related.Question 1: “Ghetto areas” in LA

I’ve found a few promising properties in LA zip codes that, according to Best Places & City Data, have high levels of violent crime.In the UK, we’d call such areas ghettos and they are not worth investing in, as the tenants lack income, the monthly rental prices are low, and the property management companies provide a poor service.

I would also argue that a violent felony conviction is a greater threat than someone dealing marijuana or drunk driving.Here's another issue: most Landlords will set a policy of "No felonies within seven years".

@Michael Noto No, I haven't yet because for the most part, everyone willing to live in this neighborhood has crappy credit and I hate to charge people that won't meet my other criteria the fee so I look at everything else first to rule out unacceptable tenants (court records for multiple evictions and violent crimes, bad references, facebook posts showing undisclosed pets etc,etc...)

That being said, if it is something like prison and it was a non-violent crime, I would still consider that tenant depending on the part of town, amount of rent, and other tenants in the building.

Unfortunately, the tenant just notified the PM that she is moving immediately, having been the victim of a violent crime that has left her feeling completely unsafe in her home.