I was thinking of something remote controlled, like a kill switch for
the
furnace or something similar. Something that would make staying in the
home, not paying rent unpalatable. Would it make sense to keep the
utilities in our name and pass them through so that we could cut them
off,
or does cutting off a deadbeat's electricity boomerang back on the
landlord?

Put all utilities in the tenant name.

If they go all stupid, don't spend a bunch of money of ways to get
them out. Just take the front door off, frame and all. Explain you
have to order a custom made Mahogany door from Belize.

Or shut off the gas and call the gas company and tell them you smelled gas.
They won't turn it back on until they thoroughly check the premises, and at
that time, you have access as owner, and will probably have to sign off on
the work order. Most public service employees are required to report any
presence of drugs, illegal firearms, child abuse, child neglect, mostly
anything out of the ordinary that you can have them arrested for, and you,
as property owner would have probable cause to report such observances
during said inspection for the source of the gas leak.



Steve