Posted by NCLisa on 10/23/07 9:22pm
Msg #217909

Professional Settlement Services lowers their fees and

had just implemented an automated email system. The system will automatically offer the closing to all the notaries in the area that will accept the offered fee. The notary that accepts the offer first, gets the gig.

Reply by Loretta Reed on 10/23/07 9:24pm
Msg #217911

Yeah, like I'm going to be sitting by my computer all day waiting. Come on signing services, get real and pick up the phone!

Reply by NCLisa on 10/23/07 9:30pm
Msg #217913

I won't miss them.

Reply by JK/TX on 10/23/07 10:05pm
Msg #217917

Re: Professional Settlement going once....going twice..SOLD!

Don't you question the quality of a title company or lender, not to mention the SS, that would allow their closing assignment/docs to be thrown out on a mass email to the lowest bidder ??? buuurrrrr.

Reply by jba/fl on 10/23/07 10:24pm
Msg #217919

I've had several companies tell me the same thing via email: that they will send emails rather than call. Like you Loretta, I am not sitting all day by the computer - and I don't want them to broadcast text msgs either to find me. that is the same as paying a fee to get the job.

SS's: Call! That is the way to do business.

Reply by MichiganAl on 10/23/07 11:13pm
Msg #217929

You've gotta love the logic

While the most experienced, qualified people are on the road doing, you know, actual signings, the least experienced, least qualified, least hired rejects will be sitting in front of their computer hitting refresh every thirty seconds hoping for a morsel from PSS. Geez, why don't they just set up a reverse bid on E-bay? Auction closes in an hour, opening bid is $50, do we have a $40 bid? $35? $30? Sold for $30.

Reply by MonicaFL on 10/24/07 11:01am
Msg #218009

Re: You've gotta love the logic

I received a call yesterday for a HELOC closing about 25 miles (1 way) from my home and they wanted to pay $50.00. Told them I don't even get out of bed for less than $85.00 - and that's without e-docs!!!! Needless to say, they didn't call back. Oh well. My house needed cleaning.

Reply by NCLisa on 10/24/07 7:03am
Msg #217949

The lower fee includes recording also!

They do mostly purchases in NC, and since we are a table closing state, these need to be recorded after the closing or sometimes the day after. I'm normally asked to do the closing, go record, then go back and hand out checks. They have lowered the fee for all this to $100 which includes edocs, and them overnighting blank signed checks, that the NSA has to fill out. (They even have the NSA fill out the RE Agent checks). The thing I like least, is they always forget to inform the RE Agents that the person coming to the closing is NOT an attorney.

Reply by Loretta Reed on 10/24/07 7:05am
Msg #217950

Re: The lower fee includes recording also!

Got a call yesterday for a reverse mortgage............get this.........
$100 for email docs. (175-200 pages) Plllleeeeaaassseeeee!

Reply by Dawn/PA on 10/24/07 7:12am
Msg #217952

Lower fees, emails, payment

I have gotten the song about the lower fees and also talked with someone about the email notification. The email notification is "suppose" to be a test thing to see how well it works. I have also noticed that they have gone to an automated phone system versus a live person answering the phone. And for the first time I am at 30 days with them! I did get a response from Veronica who has the information in the system and she is checking it out - one payment for cancel at the table and the second one for the return trip. I was able to get more for my last assignment because it was out in the boonies, but I am not as quick to say yes because the fees seem to keep going lower and lower.

Reply by LarryTN on 10/24/07 9:16am
Msg #217965

Re: The lower fee includes recording also!

"The thing I like least, is they always forget to inform the RE Agents that the person coming to the closing is NOT an attorney."

A good real estate broker/agent should already know that we are not attorneys. I have had individual borrowers expect an attorney, but never a real estate agent ..

Reply by JanetK_CA on 10/24/07 4:12pm
Msg #218120

Unbelievable!

They deserve what they will get for that kind of money! It also makes me cringe to think about what kind of backroom "fixing" they will likely be doing to get their packages right. And I bet they figure it will be a "cost effective" approach...

Reply by Desiree Jordan on 10/24/07 10:23am
Msg #217983

Some other scofflaws:
Accurate Closings of SW Florida V-mail; hung up when I identified myself; # now disconnected
Alvarado Group Nationwide Signing Agency
Ameridocs Mobile Signing Service
Ameristar Information Network, LTD
Certified Signing Services
Coversign - spoke to Maurice (very pleasant), but now I only get v-mail & no returned calls
DocuServ USA
Firma Signing Solutions
First American Heritage Title Co.
Infinite Notaries
LIA Signing - slow, very slowwwwwww
Nations Direct
North West Notary Network, LLC
Notaries Ink
Notary On The Go
PA Settlement Services, Inc.
Pacific Document Signing
Platinum Escrow, LLC
Precision Document Signing
Progressive Closing & Escrow - Natalia is looking into it, but I faxed invoices to her (she said
received them), but then for 1 month I only got v-mail & she never returned my calls
Secure Signings (in MD) - they've stopped answering their phone (v-mail @ 10:45 AM est)
Select Signings
Settlement Corp.
Signature Settlement Services
Sign on the X (SOX) - they owe me $612.50 & had the nerve to call 10/22 to do a closing on 10/24. I said "sure, but I need to speak to Joann regarding my open invoices". Needless to
say I never heard form them (it was assigned to another poor, unsuspecting notary)
Title First Agency - SURPRISE!
Transcontinental Title Company - I may get 1/2 of what they owe me, but I have to gather a
bunch of documentation for them
Universal Document Express - supposedly Tim is 'looking into it"
U.S. Title Corp
Veri-Docs

I spoke to Joe @ Lending Tree Settlement about SOX & he's had dozens of unpaid notaries
call (he said they don't use them anymore for that reason alone).
Someone posted that it's illegal to charge a HUD fee for services that weren't paid. I think we should get a class action (or at lease file joint-complaints) against some of these. If they're still in business, it would drive them out or make them pay up!!!

I know this is long but we could get one Notary to file against one company in their state. Anyone who wanted to be included would pay a fee to be added to the lawsuit (say $1).
It would beat having to chase everyone down individually & would raise a RED FLAG to Title companies!
We could solicit notary/victims thru: the NNA; Signing Agent.com; this website & others.
There's strength in numbers!!!
Are you with me????
A typical civil suit costs $50 or less!!
The more complaints - the less it would cost.
Of course, we'd have to then trust that individual not to take OUR money, but as LICENSED notaries, we wouldn't want to risk OUR livelihoods - RIGHT?
I'd rather risk one more $1 than $50 PER company!!
Let's do this - kinda like an office raffle!!!