Posted by JanetLA on 3/5/09 8:46am
Msg #279584

UGH.... Dishonest notary needed in Louisiana...

A title company is trying to find someone here to notarize a reverse mortgage Wells Fargo package for borrowers without witnesses.... n LA we always need two in addtion to the notary. We can't ever be one of the witnesses...They told me to cancel since the borrowers can't provide the witnesses. They said they would call me back when it rescheduled for a time that they have witnesses. BUT...they called my business number from my corporation listing and asked me to do it, not knowing that they were calling me again. Hopefully there will not be a notary who will do it without witnesses but more than likely someone will take it....

Reply by MarcyLA on 3/5/09 9:48am
Msg #279592

Hi Janet,
Something tells me they'll find someone who will do it. A few days ago I got a last minute call because the notary cancelled due to illness. When I called the borrower to confirm the appt and witness requirement, the borrower said the last notary didn't mention anything about it. He was very frustrated with the situation and I looked like the "bad guy." We were only 2 hours from appt time, but he was able to round up a few neighbors - who he had never met! He literally had to knock on a stranger's door...Bright side? Maybe this will be "the beginning of a beautiful friendship!"

Anyway, I doubt there's a notary running around Louisiana signing loans with witnesses in his/her car!

Reply by Raynon Taylor on 3/5/09 9:53am
Msg #279596

I'll do it!! Just kidding of course I know sometimes it is hard for the borrowers to get witnesses even down here where "everybody knows everybody" Amazing what the title companies really think that we will do just to get their paperwork signed!

Reply by JanetLA on 3/5/09 10:45am
Msg #279612

There is at least one notary that takes documents home and

lets her friends and family sign the witness lines. I am not going to do it. This was a reverse mortgage and I was not about to ask my family or friends to come along for that long process.... Typically I ask the scheduler to inform them of witness requirements and it is not usually a problem. There are some companies that want me to provide the witnesses, which I will do for an added fee, or for the same fee if they want to come to me. But I will not do something dishonest, no matter the fee.

Reply by Raynon Taylor on 3/5/09 11:35am
Msg #279627

Re: There is at least one notary that takes documents home and

I am lucky that I usuallyhave family around that don't have exciting lives of their own lol. My mom worries about me going to people's homes alone so much that she jumps at the chance to come when borrower can't get witnesses and we usually drag my sister or my husband along. It turns into a big family affair and then we use it as an excuse to eat out somewhere lol

Reply by Raynon Taylor on 3/5/09 11:50am
Msg #279632

Re: There is at least one notary that takes documents home and

Forgot to add that yeah, my family would have been awfully bored sitting around for that. Let me ask, what do you do with the witnesses? Do you have them wait in a different area/room and come in for signatures? That is the way I currently do it, just wondering what everyone's normal practice is????

Reply by sue_pa on 3/5/09 12:01pm
Msg #279635

Re: There is at least one notary that takes documents home and

So you're saying you are having your family assist multi-TRILLION dollar corporations and complete strangers for no compensation?

At the corner notary 'stores' in PA, they are sitting RIGHT there - don't even need to get out of the chair - just scribble their names on the witness line and stamp with their name stamp below and they charge $2.00.

Someone giving up an hour or more of their time to assist someone else should be compensated ... whether they are "worried" about you (another story for another day) or not.

Have you thought about questions arising down the road abuot the loan, Will, POA, pension paperwork, whatever (it doesn't matter what or why) and your family being brought into depositions or hearings? Borrowers say they didn't sign of their own free will and the "witness" was brought by the unscrupulous (sp?) notary who was in cahoots with everyone else?

Sure glad we don't require witnesses in PA because it would be their paperwork, their witnesses.

Reply by Gary Boehm on 3/5/09 12:44pm
Msg #279636

Hey maybe Raynon buys their dinner <grin> n/m

Reply by Lee/AR on 3/5/09 1:14pm
Msg #279639

Re: There is at least one notary that takes documents home and

While I understand your thoughts that this is a 'family outing' for you, I really do think that it should be treated as a business by all involved. Put in another light, how would your family really feel if they realized they are not helping you--as, realistically, they are merely providing free service to a very large company? In the (granted) very unlikely event that something is ever questioned--well--this is just asking for trouble, imho.

Reply by JanetLA on 3/5/09 1:38pm
Msg #279645

My policy with witnesses etc

I always tell the hiring enitity that there needs to be two witnesses in addition to the notary. I then tell borrowers the same thing but that the witnesses only need be present for authentic signatures (Louisiana notaries understand this term-probably different everywhere else). They can either have them arrive at the start, and I have those witnessed docs pulled out, or I tell them 30 minutes after appointment time, and we can set them aside until witnesses arrive. Many people "can't find witnesses" until I tell them that the witnesses won't be in their business. They only need to tell them that it is mortgage papers that need witnesses. Most people are satisfied with that and don't mind signing on witness lines. Alternately, I will allow borrowers to come to my home office and provide witnesses. If I bring my own witnesses to their location, I charge an additional $25 and that is only in areas nearby. Traffic being what it still is after Katrina, it would be unfair (and moreover, I am unwilling) to ask them to do anything more for such a small amount.