OK, the tip - now seems obvious - but I just learned my lesson. Check property records to make sure that when you call the current landlord it really is the property owner not a “friend”. Question - I just found out the the tenant’s employer lied about how long she had worked there. He wrote me a letter stating it was over 2 years. I was actually a few months. I am now out at least $2,000 due to no rent and damages to property. Since in Texas I cannot garnish her wages, I was thinking of suing the employer because I would have never rented to someone with such work history. any ideas?