Tenant's son pawned stackable washer/dryer, now they want another
This particular rental is a 4-plex in Spokane WA. The tenant is on section 8, is a 42ish year old female. She is "not really" living at the apartment, and is staying at her new boyfriends place. She lets her son live at her place (he's 22ish, meth addict, real loser). Right before the pandemic hit, I was about to evict her (was going to no cause) but then evictions stopped (and WA state got rid of no cause now). She stopped paying her portion of the rent (about half the rent, which is $300ish) and hasn't paid rent in over a year. She won't even fill out the papers to have the city/state pay her back rent. The charities/organizations won't let us fill out the request for rent on her behalf.
Problem: She called yesterday and said her stackable washer/dryer was stolen (they left the big screen tv, left EVERYTHING else, just stole the washer/dryer) and now she wants me to replace it. Obviously her meth addicted son pawned the washer/dryer as there was no sign of break in at the apartment, and nothing else was taken.
How to proceed?
Option 1.) Replace the washer/dryer, just eat it like I have a million times before. Even though the next one will probably get stolen during the evitable upcoming eviction (maybe put a super ****** one in just to tide it over?).
Option 2.) Can I say, hey, why didn't they steal your tv, or dvds, or ANYTHING else and ONLY my 2 year old $1,400 stackable washer/dryer? And say "prove it" when it comes to her asking me to replace it. Or is that just going to be viewed as retaliation and them only stealing the washer/dryer isn't enough evidence on my side?
Thanks in advance!