why...why would he pay them $ to 'leave' and in essence forgo the eviction & damages?
that doesn't make sense
none of it does
As a former landlord/property manager, sometimes when you have a problem tenant who owes you money and is trashing the place you'll do anything to get them out. You can evict them through the court systems, which depending on your judge could take months, costing you even more time and money lost. But if you offer the tenant money to leave, most will take your offer and get out faster than through a legal eviction. You may never recoup the money you lost, but frankly, tenants who owe as much as the Parsonses do, will never pay you back in full anyways. It's just a trick of the trade.