Everything should be in writing (signed and notarized) - and it would even be helpful to do an open recording of each member speaking about their understanding of the group purpose, dynamic, rolls and responsibilities.

A BUNCH OF DRAMA ensued and after that I declared I would never rent to a tenant with a criminal record again. 

The hottest day on record was back in 1936 when air conditioning did not exist.If my Google research powers are correct, the average rent for a two-bedroom is around $2,000 a month.

If you have personally or know of others who are solid investors who have a 20-year track record, what ROI's did you/they see?

Also, is it illegal for me to look at public court records online to see if she had previous evictions?

Then have them cross reverence the data with local tax records to find the owner info.

How to effectively convert legal county records/address to a normal everyday address 

If you are competing heads up against a Joe, you are either going to take a smaller margin or lose the deal.Track the property every week or so via county property records and see how much and when it actually sells.

Again, for the record, I have never worked with you.

What is their track record?