Posted by CA_Notary on 6/2/04 1:55pm
Msg #2599

10 bucks?!?

I got a call from Notaries on the Move (from Chula Vista CA) in April. They had a notary who couldn't do a signing due to a car accident and wanted me to pick up the docs from her and do the signing the same day. No problem.

Picked up the docs (about 17 miles away), called and left a message for the borrower. No return, called a few hours later and got someone on the line who told me the borrower was out of the country and wouldn't be back for several weeks. Why the signing service, title company, or other notary didn't already know this, I have no idea.

Called Notaries on the Move, let them know this, and asked what to do with the docs (2 sets), said they'd get back to me. Never did.

I wasn't sure exactly what to invoice for picking up the docs. I figured I'd just charge the travel fee as if it were a basic Mobile notarization appointment. $25. I figured it might be a little low, but it could lead to more business with the company, as this was my first call from them.

6 weeks later I finally get my check from Notaries on the Move. For ten bucks. I should probably be angry, but I mostly find it hilarious that they think $10 is adequate payment for my troubles, and that somebody had to make a conscious decision that $25 was just TOO MUCH MONEY for me taking an hour out of my day to travel for a signing that they should have known wasn't going to happen anyway.

I'm not going to kill myself trying to get my other $15, but I am going to give them a call just to see what their answer is. Needless to say, a company that is this cheap is not a company that I want to do business with in the future anyway.

And I actually still have the docs since nobody ever gave me instructions on what to do with them. I'll be sure to mention this to see if it gives me any leverage, lol.

Reply by notary on 6/3/04 11:42am
Msg #2648

Re: Notaries on the Move

Thanks for posting, CA-N. Now I know not to work with them.

Thanks to everyone who posts warnings about SSs on this board. SSs really are the bottom feeders of the loan industry. They even make HFC look good!

Reply by Joan-OH on 6/3/04 12:27pm
Msg #2651

HFC?

I take exception to your HFC comment. I have closed probably 200-250 of their loans in the past year and have only had 2 rtc's used. In the offices I work in, there is never any funny business or high pressure tactics....and definitely not when I am in the room.

There are many times these loans are a good deal for the borrower. The rates might be a little higher, but so is Ameriquest and a lot of other subprime lenders. The differences are HFC only has a 1% prepayment penalty (I've seen up to 5% elsewhere) and they do offer the pay-right reward (1/4% interest discount every year the payment are on time). I've done no other loans where the interest rate is lowered because you pay on time. I see it as rewarding those whose credit isn't all that great, but can lower their rate automatically by paying on time.

Keep in mind when doing these loans, we do not see borrowers credit reports or credit scores. Run the HFC's & Ameriquests out, and these people would not be able to get ANY credit. I've read where some counties and/or states have done just that only to come back later begging these companies to come back to their area.

Reply by CA_Notary on 6/3/04 2:04pm
Msg #2665

Re: 10 bucks?!? - followup

I called and left a brief voice message yesterday. No response, of course. I called again today, got voice mail again. This time my message was longer, I briefly stated the problem, stated that they should have known the borrower was out of the country before calling me, as should have the other notary and the title company, and that I was the ONLY party involved who should not have known this information.

I stated that it was ridiculous that they felt 10 bucks was reasonable pay for my travelling 40 miles to pick up the docs, and that my original $25 invoice was more than reasonable. I then stated that I still had the docs because they never told me what to do with them, and that if I did not get a response I would be contacting the title company and/or borrower to let them know that I had this sensitive information and try to obtain payment that way. I stated that if I did have to contact the title company, I would definitely not have complimentary things to say about Notaries on the Move.

Finally, I said that if they had me in their notary database they were to remove me immediately, as they were way too cheap of a company for me to consider doing business with them in the future.

I still don't expect them to actually call me back, and I will contact the title company. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to steal the business from Notaries on the Move and get it directly!

Reply by CA_Notary on 6/3/04 3:16pm
Msg #2674

Notaries on the Move responded!

I just got a call. She said she was going to give me the name and number of the person to contact at the title company, and that "you can talk to them about it".

I have a feeling that I've dodged a major bullet by finding out what a crap company this is. $15 is a pittance for this lesson.

And of course, I will be contacting the title company!

Reply by CA_Notary on 6/4/04 3:30pm
Msg #2731

Re: Notaries on the Move responded!

I don't even know if anyone is following this thread, here's the end result. I called the title company, spoke to a manager who said that she didn't know why Notaries on the Move had me call them as they were the ones who hired me. I told her I agreed with her, but that's what they told me to do so I did.

I told her that I didn't expect her to pay me, but I did want her to know how the signing company they were using handled their notaries. I asked her what I should do with the loan docs, as I had been told to hang on to them by NOM and they never got back to me. She asked me to send them back to her.

I decided to include a letter with the docs - thanking her for talking to me, reiterating the situation with NOM, and of course offering my services directly for any future signings. I also CC'd a copy via email to Notaries on the Move (which I did indicate on the letter).

I just got back the response from NOM:

Just wanted to inform you that though you are coming across very sure of the way you handled yourself in this matter, you were both out of line and unprofessional. An experienced notary understands the industry and knows that if a file cancels everyone loses the notary has the least amount of time and money to lose in the said party. Your actions put you in a bad situation. Carmel Valley asked us not to handle the situation because they wanted to deal with you. They also are very good friends of ours and asked us to never use you again because they were so shocked by your attitude. We paid you a courtesy fee out of our own pocket, we got paid nothing on our end, nor did Carmel Valley for the hard work and effort they put in. When you step out like this as a notary you make your self look bad as you did in this very situation.-Notaries On The Move


my response:

You called me to pick up documents for a signing where the borrower WASN'T EVEN IN THE COUNTRY ON THE DAY OF THE SIGNING! This is not a normal case of the loan not closing and nobody getting paid, it's a case of you contracting me to do something that was impossible to get done. You made me drive out to pick up documents for absolutely no reason at all and THAT is why I expect to be paid. It was obviously an error made on your part, as you should have known the borrower wasn't available. I certainly shouldn't have been expected to know that.

That you think your notaries should have to eat the cost of YOUR mistakes tells me a lot about your lack of professionalism. It is neither out of line, nor unprofessional for me to expect to be paid in this situation.

I am a member of various signing agent message boards. We share information about unreputable companies such as yours, and I definitely plan to share the experiences I've had with your company as well. I'm sure my fellow signing agents will be "shocked by your attitude" as well.
____________

And so the saga ends. On the plus side, I had another company who underpaid me and was trying to get out of paying the full fee. After several phone calls I was finally told yesterday that the rest of the fee was on it's way to me. So yay for me!