Complex sentence: He generally proved to be a lenient landowner; he accepted produce such as grain and firewood in place of cash for rent payments, and when tenants found themselves in financial difficulty, he usually preferred to accept late or partial payments rather than evict them.
Split into simpler sentences: He generally proved to be a lenient landowner; he accepted produce such as grain and firewood in place of cash for rent payments. When tenants found themselves in financial difficulty, he usually preferred to accept late or partial payments rather than evict them.