If I do a lease with the option to buy I get 5k up front but I have to leave about 10k into the deal but I make about 98k over 3 years if they exercise the option.

However, Lender will not exercise this option if such exercise is prohibited by Applicable Law.I have no idea who Scott Horne is. ;-) But, he should actually read the Due on Sale clause before he passes on more bad information.  

This is a blood sport, not a wishful thinking exercise.

Your downside risk is the stock price rockets to let's say $200, and you only get what your selling that option for, 158 + the 12.50 per share they pre-paid you = 170.50Upside risk, the stock only goes up to say 165, meaning it's a net loss for the holder (aka gambler) of that option contract to exercise it and you keep the 12.50 plus you keep your 8,900 shares, rinse & repeat selling yet another in-the-money covered call another 90-odd days out. 

However, January’s payment was late so I sent an email as a gentle reminder.

If anyone was a victim, it was the investors themselves, victims of their own greed and not exercising due diligence. 

FYI: this is all just a theoretical exercise to prove a point that "firing the PMC" won't solve an unsolveable problem with the property:)

It’s certainly easy to develop poor habits; discipline is crucial when it comes to both exercising and managing finances.

I am committed to doing EVERY exercise period!

So long as you aren't raising rent in retaliation for them exercising their legal rights, such as reporting safety violations, you will be just fine from a legal standpoint.