Nov- LL entered lease w/T on Section 8. LL was requesting $1100 but voucher only covered $900. LL agreed to allow tenant to move in prior to Sec 8 viewing the property due to T assuring the house would pass. T only stated that LL needed to add/replace blinds and paint. LL allowed tenant to move in by paying 1st month rent and a portion of the SD. LL wrote up agreement and T signed stating that T would pay the remainder of SD and the full rent if Sec 8 had not started paying LL at that time.
Dec- T forgets the signed agreement to pay the full rent and the other portion of the SD. (forgot to mention, T also asked if the L could keep the utilities on in the LL name.) LL agreed for 30 days only. Ok, so T gets slick on deposits the portion of her rent as if Section 8 had started and still did not pay the remainder of the SD as promised. T then says that they would be removed from Section 8 if they paid more rent that Section 8 had establised. (remember the signed letter where T agreed to pay full rent IF Section 8 had not paid) T also annotted that the rent would be prorated if Section 8 did pay AFTER T paid LL the rent.
LL was told a notarized letter was need to "show" the home when the inspector came. The LL friends were not available on the scheduled date. T stated her daughter could stand in and assured LL that this would be only to "show" the home. LL trusted T and had a notarized letter stating that the named person would "show" the home. LL learned later that this letter was for the T's daughter to signed the lease and the lease stated that the $1000 SD was paid.
This was not found out by the LL until the lease was received in the mail over a week later. (LL contacted Section 8 and wanted out of the lease)
Sad part of this all is that this was the LL's first time ever renting. LL is more than 20 years younger than the T. LL also learned that the last 2 LL were taken to court by this same T. T is a scam artist that preys on people that doesn't know much about the system.
Well, anyway LL also left all the items needed to keep the home up inside and outside. Needless to say, some items came up missing and others that were left behind were broken. Carpets were destroyed, markings all over the wall, etc... The carpets have been cleaned 2 times since the T left and still not clean.
So with all the food in the pantry, fridge, cleaning supplies that would have last for 6 months or more, a 54"TV with the huge unit to go around it that was all given to the T. In return, the T is now sueing for $15K for moving expenses, hardship, utility deposit, purnitive damages etc.
Funny, that T owes LL but LL figured to let it go because T gets SSI and disability. (another scam T did to get benefits) WHEW! Now with all that, I just want to know why do tenants do things like this when you do nothing but try and help them. Is there any help for LL that get screwed everyday behind folks like this? What do you do? What can be done?
Section ended up making the 1 year contract NULL and VOID and stated that due to the daughter signing the contract without them knowing etc... Nobody wants to hold the T responsible and again the LL is left holding the dirty bags. (speaking of which, a bunch of garbage was left in the garage.) WHY?? Can somebody please tell me why? Court date coming in a month or 2...

This LL is much too trusting, naïve, and unbusinesslike to be a LL.
I can't follow some of the story, such as 'gets slick on deposits' or what the deal is with LL's friends being needed to show the apartment, but it's clear that LL needed to learn about Section 8 before believing what was said by T, AND DEALING DIRECTLY WITH SECTION 8. And what LL provides 6 months of food, supplies, and a 54" TV? Or allows any one of about 5 really risky things to happen based on trust? Your question is why do people do these things, not what is the law, and the answer is because they are bitter and entitled or any number of reasons.

I was a naïve landlord at first, and made a minor mistake or two. I do understand the desire to be nice to people. But now you know it's business. Get your papers in order, write in clear short sentences in list format and have someone proofread it (very muddled as it is written here), before you go to court. And consider countersuing for rents due, damages, and cleaning. I don't see where T comes up with 15K.

Thanks for your response. It was really late when I put this on here. Basically, this so called "Christian" woman pretended to be something she was not. LL wanted to help the woman in hopes that she was "real".
The LL did NOT give T 6 months worth of food. LOL It should have read 6 months worth of cleaning supplies. The LL is genuinely a really nice person so I didn't expect anything less. LL was moving out and just was leaving things that she could replace in her new residence 2000 miles away. Any who, the meaning of "gets slick on deposit". Original written/signed agreement was T would pay $450 SD then $550 SD the next month. T stated that previous LL had not given the SD back and they had to go to court so she didn't have all the monies. When the $550 was due T lied and said she didn't recall signing the papers and that she has memory loss hence the disability she gets. Section 8 sent fax over telling new LL that the T was moving due to no fault of her own. LL asked for T's old LL's number but T nor Section 8 could find that information. Section 8 actually sad it had to come from T. T said she couldn't find it. 3 weeks after tenant moved in the LL found the old LL on FB and that's when the truth was revealed. T had lived in his home for 5 months and only paid 4 months rent. Just recently found the LL before that one and the same story with the T. However, that LL took her to court and the judge gave him a "unlawful detainer". Then found out from the T's oldest daughter that this is something the T has been doing all her life. The daughter even predicted that the LL would be taken to court. Almost a year after the T had to moved the LL is now being sued for all the things listed in the first message. We just need to know how to get the judge to see that this is a pattern. The daughter agreed to testify against the T. LL has pictures and videos that shows how the house was left in a mess. LL had no money to get the house painted but did the work herself. Trying to find out what all else will be needed in court and how to get someone like this removed from the system.
LL never been to court about anything but since this is a professional rent beater. All advice is welcome and much needed to make sure nothing is missed.
Thanks again and sorry so long...

If a person is going to be a landlord and esp doing section 8, they need to know the rules and laws before they start.

Also a landlord needs to run the rental as a business,

This person obviously does none of this. They need to sell the rental, hire a management company or start running it professionally.

They will find more renters like this, if they do not run things professionally from the beginning.

You don't go to court and 'get the judge to see' anything. You go to court and answer what is asked and be prepared with proof. All the past pattern stuff is HEARSAY unless you bring past LLs into court, or sworn affidavits, and the judge might not even want them. You make lists with what happened when, canceled checks, and pictures. You do NOT go on and on about who said what when. Many a judge makes a determination for or against based on whether a party is rambling, unclear, or way off track. Let the plaintiff dig her own grave, not you. Don't say things like '15K is ridiculous.' You are not there to offer opinion, hearsay, or conclusions. You present FACTS.