Find your state eviction rules and post a "pay or quit" notice the instant it is legally allowed.

As long as they had a means of heating their home to acceptable temperatures And you fixed the problem within as reasonable time period according to state law then I do not see that you would be required to pay anything towards it legally.

- Does anyone know if it is legal to finish out these agreements since they were done under prior ownership?

I would be surprised if there were not usury laws in all states that place a legal limit on the interest that can be charged on loans.

Does giving them the pamphlet and disclaimer clear us of legal risks?

Its not impossible to find deals, just tight right now.

I would NOT withhold keys from the tenant when he gets back because you run the risk of getting yourself is trouble for illegally keeping him out of a residence he is legally entitled to be in.

All kinds of agreements can be reached in RE related areas as well.We also kick around many legal aspects of RE in the forums, financing issues, landlord-tenant law, title issues and other things that can get you in trouble if you're ill advised.Most in RE that I see on BP are new, I'd have to say getting legal advice in forums is a big mistake, while we may have seasoned investors who have been doing things for years, we all fail to keep in mind at times that all RE is local.Most seek advice as they seem to think they can't afford an attorney.

A 2 bedroom single family home in front and legal separate studio apartment over a double garage in the back.

This legally lays out who's liable if anything goes wrong (even though bank can't come after you) he can.