Posted by Notary4U/VA on 1/16/12 4:28pm
Msg #409180

Registering Mortgage @ Courthouse?

On Friday, I was asked to perform a closing @ 6pm; which she wanted me to drop the package the same day (which I found odd). I asked UPS or FedEx? She asked me to hold on; came back to the phone and said, Oh I forgot to tell you, the mortgage needs to be registered at the courthouse before next Thursday! That was an important part to leave out, I thought. After she revealed this tad bit of info, I had to decline the signing. I have never performed such a task before and it sounded like an important one that needed not be messed up. Is this a responsibility that I as a notary should be familiar with conducting?

Reply by NJDiva on 1/16/12 4:32pm
Msg #409182

Good question! n/m

Reply by CopperheadVA on 1/16/12 4:54pm
Msg #409187

I have a notary friend who does this on occasion for one of his clients when they have a purchase closing. It definitely incurs an extra fee. Also, some courthouses are easy to record at where you can just walk in and do it, while others require a significant wait. The title company must also provide checks made out to the courthouse for the recording fees. The courthouse gives a receipt, which the TC will probably want faxed to them.

Reply by Lee/AR on 1/16/12 5:04pm
Msg #409190

Basically, this is not 'hard' as the Reg. of Deeds will know what to do. However... lots of caveats to this: 1. Recording fees must be paid and I surely wouldn't front the money for that. 2. The various (& often inexplicable) 'procedures' which will vary by RoD person and which could mess with you, big time. (Like maybe they won't record it immediately, but you might have logistic problems with that--or not.)
For whatever this info is worth, I did one in my county and they sent a check to cover the Recording fees, but I had to make a copy after recording (county returns original when they get around to it) to return to them via o/n...and the county was nice enough to do that at no charge or else that would have meant money out of my pocket. This was about 3 miles from my home and paid $50 and took less than 1/2 hour, door to door. However, in larger cities this could be a real bear....standing in line for ????

Reply by MW/VA on 1/16/12 6:35pm
Msg #409202

I get an occasional request for "recording". In my area

(Va. Beach), none of the cities will record while you wait. The most I can do is drop it in the "in box" for recording sometime that day. They will give me a receipt.
Depending where you are it may not be a big issue. Some of the smaller county courthouses will record without waiting. They do need to provide you with a check for the fees. Also, you need to charge an additional fee for what you think the extra time involved is worth for you.

Reply by enotary/va on 1/16/12 7:32pm
Msg #409209

Re: I get an occasional request for "recording". In my area

I do recording for some of the attorneys when I do the sgning. Its the next day to record and I get the same pay as if it were a signing..

Reply by JamesLee/VA on 1/16/12 7:33pm
Msg #409210

Thats me!!! I do about 2 or 3 a week

But I charge accordingly. My time is money, so don't sell yourself short. Anyone who has worked with me in the past knows I make it worth my time. If they prefer economy over quality them I'm not their person. I have more repeat business on that philosophy. The closings I perform are typically more involved though.

Reply by Claudine Osborne on 1/16/12 9:56pm
Msg #409220

Re: Thats me!!! I do about 2 or 3 a week

I do these recordings for an additional fee. The TC or attorney will send me the recording checks and I go to the courthouse and follow their procedures. I usually do not have any problems. It depends on which courhouse I am sent to..Most of the time I walk in and the recording is done on the spot. I get a receipt and the originals get sent back by the courhouse in a prepaid envelope.

But keep in mind I live and work in a rural area so the wait time is not very long..Big cities that might take a long time..Im usually in and out in 20 mins..

Reply by HisHughness on 1/17/12 1:17am
Msg #409229

In 10 years of being a signing agent, I have never recorded a deed, nor have I ever been asked to do so. I'd have no idea what to charge.

I did record two of my Country & Western songs, though: "Hallelujah! Chorus Girl" and "Please Don't Flush the Toilet While I'm in the Shower, Dear." To date, I've sold two copies of each of them. One sale was to me, and one to my daughter. Two years later, my daughter still has not paid me.

Reply by VT_Syrup on 1/17/12 6:43am
Msg #409232

I do general notary work, not mortgages, but if someone asked me to record something, I would definitely base the fee on presenting the document for recording, not on whether it is accepted or not. There are too many reasons why it might not be accepted. For example, in my state, if the legal description mentions a survey map, the map must either be recorded together with the deed, or the map must already be on file at the town clerk (we don't use the courthouse for recording Vermont deeds).

I wouldn't take this kind of job from someone who is hard to reach by phone.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 1/17/12 7:43am
Msg #409233

I'd also be making sure the company understands

that I'm not doing a bringdown when I record and will not certify that the mortgage is in first lien position.

I find it hard to comprehend that a company will record a mortgage without having a bringdown done to be sure nothing has been recorded between date of title search and date of recording. That's just sloppy, lazy work IMO.

Reply by jba/fl on 1/17/12 8:44am
Msg #409234

My thoughts also...

.oh, wait, I'm just observing and lurking for a while so I don't act out again.

Reply by jnew on 1/17/12 2:32pm
Msg #409260

Disaster waiting to happen. The title needs to be updated immediately prior to recording to eliminate any potential intervening liens which would upset the lender's priority. The fees are payable at time of closing. The mortgage might be rejected by the register of deeds at the time of recording, (not the time you hand it to them), if they reject and don't have your information they may return the mortgage and your check for fees to the return address on the mortgage, which may be the investor or the final documentation department at the lender. Whichever, it probably won't be returned to you. The mortgage then becomes l-o-s-t. Judging by the way people act and accept personal responsibility in this business, I would bet you would be on the hook for correcting the mess. I would not advise anyone to do it.

Reply by jnew on 1/17/12 2:36pm
Msg #409262

Correction: fees payable at time of recording.