However litigation is time consuming and expensive so only about 1 in 100 will even attempt a lawsuit. 

I htink contracts are not worth the paper they are written on, in this case, if you cannot trust the person completelyl Would you want to be caught up in litigation chasing your money , even with a contract in place? 

I saw a few cases swing due to litigants not knowing how to control their emotions.

Perhaps an attorney can clarify or revise my memory.Another thing I remember my attorney saying is if she does make a deposit into the account, you can "partition" it in the account (i.e. not spend it) and send her a written notice reiterating as per your lease agreement, you cannot accept partial payments, and her most recent deposit is being held in the account in which it was deposited, pending the outcome of the litigation" or something similar.I, too, use a common bank account for tenants of the same building, so that's what he told me to do when I had a similar situation a few years ago.Of course, YMMV and this may not wash in your jurisdiction.  

I'm educated as a civil engineer (Ga Tech) and have worked in the commercial construction industry for years in multiple roles; development, feasibility studies, governmental approvals and permitting, pre-construction and estimating, project management and superintendent work as well as handling all sustainable construction and LEED certification in house.I'm a voracious reader and am currently consuming "Building Wealth One House at a Time" by John Schaub.

An attorney in your area that works on construction litigation should be able to answer all your questions relatively quick.

I am a highly motivated junior year civil engineer looking to offer my services for this spring or summer.

A separate civil suit would have to be filed by the borrower in order to attempted to adjudicate the note ownership and presence.Moral of the story, the ideas you carry are misguided on many fronts.   

They know they are taking a risk by exposing more than one property to litigation, but they reluctantly decide it’s worth it to avoid the headaches of having numerous LLCs.I recently bought several rental properties from an investor.

This should show you what mortgages he/she has out on the property as well as what kind of court issues, including foreclosure, he/she is dealing with.The third link should actually take you into the actual foreclosure civil case site.