I want to thank my notary friends here at Notary Rotary, as well as a few signing service owners that I have become friends with throughout the years, for reaching out to me over the past two days with their well wishes for my safety during this record breaking cold weather we are having here in Minnesota. Obviously I am not the only notary out there affected by the extremely dangerous conditions, as many states are reporting record low temperatures and life-threatening wind chills.
All of the schools and colleges in the area have been closed down for the past three days. The USPS has suspended mail delivery in several states, many of the snow plow trucks were pulled off the roads due to mechanical problems, The Light Rail is not running, Fed Ex and UPS have limited pick up, many flights have been canceled, several restaurants and many local businesses have closed their doors during this time, and grocery stores were closing up early causing a panic to get to the stores to get the basics. Local police and fire are checking on the homeless and trying to get them somewhere safe and warm. Area hospitals are reporting many cases of frostbite as it only takes 5 minutes of exposed skin to get frostbite. There are several warnings about higher risks of hypothermia. Cars are sliding off the roads and into the ditches due to black ice that forms on the road from car exhaust, water pipes freezing, and loss of power in several neighborhoods.
As far as business goes, I want to say how tremendously thankful and grateful I am to work with such fabulous lenders, title companies, and signing companies. Out of all the companies I work for, only one title company felt the need to keep calling around until they could find a notary to go out in 52 below temperatures last night for a closing.
Prior to the arrival of these extreme weather conditions, my closing schedule was completely full throughout the end of the month and into February. Quicken Loans, Chase, PNC Bank, and AAG allowed me and the borrowers to decide on what day and time would work for them, provided it did not interfere with any rate locks, and they changed the days and times accordingly and kept me on as the closer. I was amazed at their understanding and willingness to allow me to work with their clients on getting a new closing date and let me be the closer. A lot of lenders, title companies, and signing companies would have just said they were going to find a new notary who was willing to go out in this weather, but not these fabulous companies.
So yes I am surviving the Polar Vortex here in Minnesota and I pray for the safety of all the notaries out there who endure the extreme weather conditions (floods, fires, hurricanes, blizzards, and yes polar vortexes) in order to get the loans signed. Stay safe everyone, and again thank you for your kind words and well wishes. I am happy to report that things should open back up again tomorrow and by the weekend we will have normal Minnesota winter conditions.
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