Any successful Landlords on here??

I was a landlord, no longer. Still have multiple properties, but no longer rent them out.

When I was in the rental business, I found that the state usually takes the side of the tenant in any type of legal action. For example, we had a tenant that we rented an apartment to in a 2 family house. We rented a two bedroom apartment to a man and his wife, who had a 4 years old girl. The paid me the first and last months rent, up front. That was all the ever paid.
They were in the apartment for 10 months and never paid us another dime.
Further I foind out that they had the wife's parents living with them, too, and while they lived there, they also had another child.
4 adults, and 2 children living in a 2 bedroom apartment.

After the 2nd month of none payment I asked them to leave. They refused. I took them to court, and the judge said they'd have to move, but not until they found something else, as there were two children.

Finally, after 10 months (8 months of none payment), they told me they were moving.
When they did, the stole half of the kitchen cabinets, plus I had to sink nearly $6000 into repairs of the plumbing, the electricals,and the walls in the bedroom.

It took 3 years and $nearly 10,000 in legal fees to recover the damages. The were paid by his parents.