Small Claims Court Adventures

I have rental property. Anyone who thinks that this is the ticket to easy street had better shop around for another ticket.  There are good things about rentals, but there are a host of other issues that make it not as great as people would think it is.
Good tenants. There are times when this starts to seem like a myth, something like a unicorn sighting.  I was always a good tenant. I paid on time, and I didn't tear things up.  I left it as clean-or cleaner-than when I rented it.  This is not always the case.  Trust me. I have had tenants who put holes in the wall. Some have let their animal destroy screen doors. Don't they see the problems as they are happening?  I guess not.  They are oblivious to the damage until the time to get their security deposit rolls around.  Then they notice, trust me.
Neighbors to your rentals.  I know people who hate having rentals in their neighborhood.  They believe that it lowers their property values, I guess.  Or maybe they think that a renter is automatically a bad person.  All I know is that I have 3 neighbors that I guarantee will tell me anything that my tenant may have done long before they are finished doing it.  It could be something I would like to know about-rolling stolen property into the place (thanks Juanita) or it could be something asinine-a neighbor who complains when tenants park across the street in front of his house.  You grit your teeth with these neighbors, that is all that you can do.  No matter what happens, they aren't happy.  Forget about trying to please them, that is a lost cause.
Quiet.  I had a tenant with a surround system.  There is a common wall.  While the tenant loved Star Wars- no one else wanted to hear the bass and treble involved in that movie when it is full blast.  Keep your volume at a normal level.  If you want to hear it blaring-go to the movies.  I work anywhere from 50 to 65 hours a week, and when I can finally go home, I just want to sleep, not listen to your noise.
Children.  Kids are great, I have three of my own.  But not everyone wants to see or hear your screaming destructive little offspring.  Teach them not to break things.  More importantly, teach them not to bother things that  aren't theirs.  That will go a long way toward making your landlord less hostile.  Trust me.
I know it seems like I am nit picking.  I had a downstairs neighbor once, she smoked like a chimney.  Most of all, she wanted to live in the duplex all alone.  She complained about every noise, sound and smell that came from her neighbors.  She once complained because she could hear my sons and me walking across the floor.  Seriously.  She wanted me to take my boys and go somewhere so that she couldn't hear us walking.  I shut the door in her face.  It also helped to block some of the stink from her cigarettes that she smoked 24/7.  But I know that it goes both ways.
We all have to get along in this world.  Stop looking for ways to make yourself angry and just try to get along with people.  You'll thank me later.