Posted by Lee_CA on 4/26/05 9:30am
Msg #33990

Has anyone had a similar experience w/a signing?

I've just got to share a story I had with a recent signing. It wasn't too fun for me, but I suppose a few of you might get a chuckle out of it b/c you've probably had similar stories. Love to hear them if you'd care to post.

I recently got a call from a SS to do a signing. They met my base fee and it was about 4 miles of my own home so I agreed to it. The signing was scheduled for 4pm and they needed me to mail the docs that night. It was a refi so I figured it should be a snap.

Long story short, when I got to the buyer's house I was absolutely mortified. Her "house" looked like something from that movie Blair Witch and disgusting from the curb. I called my husband immediately and gave him the address and told him that if I didn't come home tonight to call the police! I didn't even know how to get to the front door with all the tall weeds and DEAD animals (one squirrel and a crow as far as I could see) littering the yard. She met me at the door and led me down this dark hallway into an equally dark living room.

She didn't have a table or anywhere clean to sit down and do the signing and the woman had EIGHT cats that she let desecrate the floor all over the house. She offered the sofa which had chip crumbs and chocolate (I think) stains all over. I should also add that the woman smelled like beer. Smelled, nay, WREAKED more like.

Needless to say, the signing took over 3 hours with us having to call the broker SEVERAL times because the woman was obviously mistaken about the terms of her loan. She swears up and down the broker promised a 10 year FIX and 1% when her paperwork basically had the word ARM all over it. She kept crying to me about being unemployed and divorced and that she wasn't comfortable with the adjustable rate. I urged her to just go ahead with the signing and that she had 3 days to cancel the loan once she had the chance to scour the paperwork like she was doing with the docs we were trying to get signed. She kept hesitating and I was anxious to leave so I just told her I could leave and notify title that she wasn't interested anymore but she didn't want me to do that either. I honestly think she thought I had the power to give her a better deal or something on her loan!!

In all honesty, I've only been doing this for about 6 months and I really needed the money and the experience so I ground my teeth into my gums and stuck this experience out. Hindsight though I probably should have just left. At the very least, I should have reported her to the County for allowing her living area to be so unsanitary.

*sigh* Live and learn, right?

Reply by Art_MD on 4/26/05 9:35am
Msg #33992

Please be carful.. you said "...urged her to just go ahead and sign ...". This could come back and bite you if she ever claims she was pressured into signing.

Art

Reply by Lee_CA on 4/26/05 9:44am
Msg #33999

You know you're right.

I was thinking that in the back of my head when I was practically begging her to make a decision. I think that's why I just gave up and told her it was probably better that I leave. I know I shouldn't make excuses but after 3 hours I just didn't think I could stand the indecisiveness anymore. There were 103 pages in the docs and I think by 2 hours of sitting there we weren't even halfway into them yet.

This experience has almost made me want to go and find something else to do but I know it's always hard to start up and I KNOW this isn't the norm so I guess these things come up every once in awhile.

Hopefully for me, I'm praying it doesn't come up again in a long long while. Thanks, Art.

Reply by Art_MD on 4/26/05 9:50am
Msg #34001

Hang in there.

Think about that $100 heloc, two blocks away which took 25 minutes (and the nice glass of ice tea and homemade chocolate chip cookies they gave you).

For every closing that is so different that it gets posted, there are a dozen that went smooth as silk.

Art

Reply by Sue/CA on 4/26/05 10:09am
Msg #34007

I surely commend you for making it through that signing!!

Sure, it may not have been the "by the book" correct thing to do to urge her to sign, but you know what I wouldn't have cared either! In that situation it would have been her word against mine and if any human (or animal) would have taken one look at the house even from the outside, they may determined that the owner may not have been the most mentally stable. So, "urging" her to sign under those circumstances would probably been the least of my worries for that particular signing, because it would have been her word against mine. So, I can not blame you for the urging in a 3 hours time. Not saying it was the "correct" procedure but I understand.

I agree I probably would have tried to use the excuse (or reason) of "intoxication" for leaving that signing. If in fact she wrecked of alcohol it would have been a legitimate reason to stop the signing, but not really the main reason I'm sure. It really would have been hard for me to concentrate because I think I would have been terrified-not knowing if some type of animal would fly or crawl out of the closet or from a room or something. YUCK!!

I definately would have called the signing service as soon as I was safe in my car to tell them about that lunchbox of a borrower and what conditions that you worked under. It was also smart for you to call your husband and give him a heads up on what you were dealing with.

I can't knock how you survived it-I'm happy that you survived it!

Reply by ColleenCA on 4/26/05 9:39am
Msg #33995

Oh gross! Not only the condition of the house, but it must have smelled to high heaven. Also, I would be concerned of her smelling like beer. That would have been the last straw for me, and I think I would have said that she might be better able to conduct the signing at another time, left and then called the SS to inform them of her condition.

Reply by Adrock_fl on 4/26/05 9:41am
Msg #33997

if she smelled of beer you should not have done the closing. dont be afraid to call a ss or broker to tell them the loan cant close. It's always your but on the line. crazy and i stress the word "crazy" cat lady probable has no idea what she signed and you are the one she met. who will she blame. Im not trying to scare you but in this day and age we really have to watch our you know whats.

Ps: Did she have bread bags as shoes?

Reply by tee Fl on 4/26/05 9:59am
Msg #34002

HAHA Bread Bags as Shoes that made me laugh although it is VERY VERY SAD STORY.....

Reply by Charm_AL on 4/26/05 10:04am
Msg #34004

close...

I was at a signing last night where the dining room light was so dim I could hardly see. She said it was the bulb not a dimmer switch when I asked if she could turn it up...lol
She is an engineer and you know what that means and on top of it she has her boyfriend at the table going thru her copies as we were signing...he was a pompous butt. He kept trying to impress her by 'explaining' the numbers, rates, docs. I am a mortgage broker sitting there literally biting my tongue off to keep from correcting this guy, or smacking him...After the 50th time I answered him "I cannot answer that" I finally told her that I needed to get these docs signed or leave as I had another appointment that I wasn't going to mess up because of Mr. Glut emus Assamus

Reply by Joan-OH on 4/26/05 10:13am
Msg #34010

You "urged" someone reeking of alchohol to sign? n/m

Reply by calipat on 4/26/05 10:56am
Msg #34025

Re: You "urged" someone reeking of alchohol to sign? n/m

A couple of months ago I had a signing where the man reeked of beer and was actually drinking beer with his buddies outside when I got there. He had forgotten we had an app't and why I was there. When I told him he said oh yes come on in. I told him since he was drinking I did not think he should sign his documents. He said Oh I have not had that much to drink (slurring). I told him if he wanted to sign his loan docs that was fine, but I was not going to do it. I told him I did not feel comfortable with everyone drinking outside and that I would call the Title company that sent me out and we could reschedule it for the next day. I walked away and said have a nice evening. I called the title company on Monday morning and told them the situtation. They were actually glad that I did not have him sign. I went back Monday afternoon and he was very apologetic.
Nice guy he just forgot about me coming on a Sunday evening and started partying.

Reply by Joan-OH on 4/26/05 11:42am
Msg #34033

Re: You "urged" someone reeking of alchohol to sign? n/m

I don't think you can legally contract if you are under the influence. That can make the note invalid. In Ohio, you can't even get a marriage license if your not sober.

Personally, I think the lender should be notified so that they can make the decision whether to risk it should the borrower come back in the future and say, that contract doesn't count - I was drunk. She might have a valid claim. Under these circumstances, the lender should have this one resigned in a title company office.

Just my opinion.

Joan-OH

Reply by Pam on 4/26/05 10:17am
Msg #34012

When it is obvious someone is drinking or otherwise incapacitated, don't do the closing. If for some reason the loan turns sour, it can come back and bite you. The person siging has to be mentally compentent. Also, if conditions are unsafe or you feel uncomfortable, call the company who sent you there and tell them the situation. Never go anywhere without telling someone the address of the place you are going. In these situations, it is always best to cya.

Reply by Lee_CA on 4/26/05 1:36pm
Msg #34079

Thank You!! I'm so glad for this forum. This is so helpful!!

Oh thank you everyone for your insight. You're so right about the alcohol. She didn't seem so drunk at the time, at least she wasn't slurring her words but who could tell when she had about only half of her teeth...

I did call the broker after the signing to confirm that it did indeed close and asked him to please re-convey to title what happened so they wouldn't bust my chops for not getting the docs out that night. I e-mailed the SS what happened (briefly) and all I got was a "thank you". Oh well, at least I had it documented in writing.

I am still a baby in this crazy world we sign in so I'm sure that only experience and time will grant me the good wisdom you folks have imparted on me. Thanks so much for the responses!

Reply by immanuel6_CA on 4/26/05 2:51pm
Msg #34092

Re: Thank You!! I'm so glad for this forum. This is so helpful!!

Oh my God..thank you so much for posting your experiences with this particular signing. Now, I know what can be expected when going to the borrower in some cases..HAHAHAHA!