This is how HOA comes into the game of this transaction.2) The existing HOA document has 80+ pages and is a scanned version (so not text searchable), I don't have time to read all 80+ pages and site down with an attorney to modify item by item to what I need.

It was already late in the game & we were in a desperate scenario where we needed to access those funds ASAP.

Perhaps that has something to do with tenant mindset and gaming the system.

It's not a good area and I doubt gentrification is on the way but if you want to get in the game sometimes you have to make sacrifices.

You'll need to be 100% transparent with the owner and probably either pay him higher rent or cut him in on the profits.

Of course, try and have a good game plan on what you want to do.  

If you want to get ahead of the game you can check the zoning yourself to see if its even possible to do so.

The tenant who signed up for the new internet service in his name also never responds when I try to communicate and he has disturbed the other tenant several times by playing games late at night and being loud (the lease also states no one should cause disturbances and tenants areentitled to quiet enjoyment of the premises).My question is: what action should I take here?

You can't win if you don't play the game.

lolEric, if you are OOS and you are self-managing, there will be some costs associated with that, but the LL will still be ahead of the game.