Posted by Jessica Ward on 1/19/12 1:59pm
Msg #409457

WA Notaries--who's working through snow and ice?

I've had a few calls from favorite clients for areas my rig won't reach today. I am working, but limited areas. Who else is working?

(I'm able to cover Kent, Auburn valley, Seatac, Burien, Tukwila and Federal Way)

Reply by TacomaBoy on 1/19/12 2:28pm
Msg #409460

WA Notaries--who's working through snow and ice?

No work for me while there is significant snow and ice on the ground. I squeezed in a signing job up in Buckley on Tuesday after the first blast of snow. SnowZilla is a different matter altogether! I measured 6 1/2 inches of snow on my back deck here in Tacoma. It's just not worth jeopardizing everything for the price of a signing fee.

Reply by Patti Corcoran on 1/19/12 6:10pm
Msg #409478

Kitsap County here. I had to cancel one for today and refuse another. It's the ice on the roads that are scarey. Have two for tomorrow and I am crossing my fingers. Someone in my area must have 4 wheel drive because the SS called to tell me that they were able to get someone else to do the signing. Hope that they are OK.

Reply by Jessica Ward on 1/19/12 9:00pm
Msg #409494

I wonder if Mary Jo has a 4x4? She covers that area. I have studded tires, and my little car does remarkably well on snow. I did one this morning in Tukwila, and one just now in Kent/SeaTac which was positively harrowing. I mean, dodging falling trees, sliding down roads, stuck-on-hills crazy. We ended up signing in the dark because the power was out. It rained ice here until about noon and switched to snow and hasn't let up. I'm thrilled to have power, but i know most folks around here don't.

I put a few pics from today's snow on my Web site because it's so pretty, but I can't do it justice. As they say in Ireland though, "a terrible beauty." We've lost a couple of trees at our place, and I'm nervous about our roof.

Stay safe out there ya'll.

Reply by ikando on 1/19/12 9:34pm
Msg #409496

Sounds like you're going through what we in Oklahoma had last year. Last January, I took 2 closings supposed to happen at a bank back-to-back. The first round of the blizzard hit early afternoon, tying up traffic, and I got to the bank about 10 minutes late, but the signer decided he wanted to get home before it "got bad," so he had left. The loan officer had already left too, and the bank was shutting down. I got info to contact the borrower and we agreed to meet at the bank the next afternoon.

The second closing that day was for a young couple who didn't want to leave their house in the blizzard with their 2-year-old (and the bank was shutting down anyway), so I agreed to go to their home which was uphill from the bank about 1/2 a mile. I got stuck in a snowbank and had to have someone pull me out (for $20). It took me about an hour to go that 1/2 mile.

Needless to say, I struggled to get home that evening. The snow continued til early the next morning, but let up before I was to meet the 1st signer back at the bank. My husband agreed to drive me, so we started out in what we thought was plenty of time, and because I had contact info for the branch manager, I kept them informed of my status. The loan officer was there and I kept him informed also so he could keep the signer there.

When I finally arrived after the white-knuckled drive (people in Oklahoma don't know how to drive on wet streets much less ice and snow packed), I proceeded to complete the closing, wrapped it up and went to drop the package at the airport. The Fed-X hub had shut down early.

To add to the frustration of the two blizzard days, two trips and two separate sites on the first day, I was not offered any additional compensation for my efforts.

Moral of the story: Don't risk life, limb and your own resources because it probably will not be appreciated by any of the parties you're trying to serve.

Reply by TacomaBoy on 1/20/12 12:51am
Msg #409511

Thanks ikando

There is not much more that I can add to your comments. You made my point! Been there & done that! Are there any Newbies out there reading this?

Reply by Susan Fischer on 1/20/12 4:10am
Msg #409514

Second that, Tacoma. Newbies would benefit from the

many stories in the archives here on NR of the many heroic deeds of duties performed, against many odds...whether hurricanes and tornadoes, flooded lowlands, or snowy hilltops on trecherous roads, just to name a few of the challenges of doing our work.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 1/20/12 9:10am
Msg #409520

<< I was not offered any additional compensation for my efforts. >>

Yes, it seems to not even be appreciated when we go above and beyond. In 2009 I went to a closing after a major snowfall - I have a 4WD and I was able to get there but I'm telling you I went the extra mile. When I emailed my successful closing confirmation to the SS, I didn't even receive a response, much less a "thank you".

Reply by Jessica Ward on 1/20/12 1:58pm
Msg #409548

All of the closings I did were within walking distance. I could have gotten home on foot if I needed, I wasn't stickin' my neck out too far.

Reply by Lee/AR on 1/20/12 12:26pm
Msg #409538

snow and ice? Thing is: they don't know situation

2nd thing is: if they did know, they wouldn't care.
I'm with previous poster--no sense in jeopardizing your car or run the risk of an accident (you and car) for a fee. Guaranteed, whatever problem you experience is going to cost you MANY times that fee.