Posted by Nicole_NCali on 4/1/05 11:37am
Msg #29134

This will floor all:Told by borrower, I was too dressed up

Yesterday, I did 2 signings right after work. The first borrower was really to the point and knew what he was signing.

The second borrowers (husband/wife), the wife was doing alot of chit chat, this was about 8:45pm and I have two kids to get home to (they were not with me..dont' want to start this diatribe again) Anyway, the wife starts with, well you look nice and are you supposed to dress up when you do this job. I advise her, that professional attire is required because this loan signing is a business function. She starts reviewing her forms, I point out the TIL/HUD-1/Note along with the DOT w/ description of the property to ensure accuracy.

She makes another snide remark, "I am going to look over everything, just to make sure you didn't add anything" I say no problem and give her my standard statement "I am the notary and witness to the signing and have no part in the preparation of the documents" The lady looks at the hud-1 notary fees ($175) and says, no wonder you can dress up, look how much I am paying you. By the way, the husband is just sitting there like a bump on the log. I am getting pissed at this point, but I advise the borrower, that I have a full time job, where I make a decent income and that I do signings as a way to help out a couple of LO friends. This woman was a real piece of work.

By the way, I only had on a suit that was about 3 years old and a pair of maryjanes with my briefcase. Maybe next time I will show up in overalls and a straw hanging out of my mouth.

Reply by ColleenCA on 4/1/05 11:58am
Msg #29140

She sounds like she was jealous of you. I guess with some people you just can't win for loosin!

Reply by Nicole_NCali on 4/1/05 12:04pm
Msg #29142

I can't believe she could be jealous, she appeared to be a person who like to push buttons. I was hardly dressed up, after a 12 hour day, my hair was standing on end and my eyes were bloodshot (been up since 5:00am) at 8:45pm. (I did try to comb it, but I just gave up and did the best that I could) The visine hadn't kicked in as of yet) LOL!

I think there was an issue with the loan between the husband and wife and she decided that she was powerless to stop the circumstances. I did explain and gave her her RTC, but I am not a psychologist or a marriage counselor. This so far has been my only uncomfortable siging to date.

Reply by BrendaTX on 4/1/05 12:08pm
Msg #29144

Re: This will floor all:Told by borrower, I was too dressed

Nicole, I believe that I had that same woman here! However, I also feel I run into less "pieces of work" than what I have read about on the boards.

This job has taught me how to be a chameleon with a lot of "hide." I am not necessarily proud of that, but it's helpful.

If the borrower wants a country gal, aw shucks, I can be that. (Please sign here.)

If they want a lowly nothing they can insult - done...insult me...I'll still get my check! (Please sign here.)

If they want a Democrat, - I tell them "that's what my Aunt Jo Ann said!" (Please sign here.)

I don't lie, but I don't argue with 'em. (Please sign here.)

Reply by Nicole_NCali on 4/1/05 12:11pm
Msg #29146

Brenda (LOL) n/m

Reply by Lee/AR on 4/1/05 3:37pm
Msg #29187

Re: This will floor all:Told by borrower, I was too dressed

You are soooo right, Brenda... (Please sign here).

Reply by BrendaTX on 4/1/05 3:49pm
Msg #29190

Lee...LOL n/m

Reply by kmnotary_CA on 4/1/05 9:23pm
Msg #29236

Re: This will floor all:Told by borrower, I was too dressed

Brenda,
Keep it up, You're Great!!!

Reply by Donna Lenzi on 4/2/05 10:14am
Msg #29254

Re: This will floor all:Told by borrower, I was too dressed

I agree with you on that view Brenda........I always say this business you have to have a game face! You know if they sign you get paid!!!! Hey did you tell her if she want to get her notary, computer, market herself, drive around spilling her coffee, not eating all day b/c of the end of the month, running out of paper in the middle of printing, being late b/c of 100 questions on a refi, getting home to fax 20 pages before bed, sure she can wear a suit ha ha But, you have to be experienced in the field to even get to that high point...........eh? I swear I went in to a closing last night with choclate on my face ha ha it was on my black skirt too. That is what I had for dinner. But it sure beats bowing down to a man Sorry guys (I'm divorced)

Reply by Joan-OH on 4/1/05 12:16pm
Msg #29149

Give her a couple of weeks. She'll be calling you to find out how she can do what you do and afford nice clothes too! You did leave your business card, didn't you? :-)

Joan-OH

Reply by Nicole_NCali on 4/1/05 2:02pm
Msg #29162

Well Joan, she would need to get up at 5:00am, get 2 children dressed and fed (10 mo old, 5 yr), dress myself in prepressed clothes, and get to my 8:30 -5:00 grind, ensure that appointments after work are confirmed and that all conditions are met on the hud by the borrower, drive to the appointment, notarize the documents, recheck the documents, package them, pick up my baby from the babysitter, go home, check the docs again, update my computer with all issues on the signing and the invoice and date of the signing, read a book to my son, play with the baby, bathe the both of them, put the two little angels to sleep at 9:00 (If my signing runs over, my husband takes over) and settle myself down to sleep ...

run on sentence...run on...blah blah, yeah, she must really envy me..I wouldn't trade places for a million but if I were her, I wouldn't want to do what I do for a million. -

Reply by Nicole_NCali on 4/1/05 2:17pm
Msg #29172

Re: This all took place on Wednesday..I am losing it

Reply by Joan-OH on 4/1/05 3:33pm
Msg #29185

But....But.....But.....you dress so nice! Of course she wants your job. When she finds out exactly what you have to do to afford those new clothes, you will then start receiving calls to run around town cleaning up her notary messes. Better yet, she can be assigned to YOUR signing and you can put her through the mill.

I really don't know how women with small children do this! It's one thing to have a scheduled job, arranged day care, etc. But the signing business is so last minute, I just don't know how you can arrange your time! Your hubby must be a great help. I know I could have never done it when my children were small.

Joan-OH

Reply by Nicole_NCali on 4/1/05 3:55pm
Msg #29193

My husband is so great. He is such a help to me. I don't do over 10 signings a month. I haven't signed up with every ss. I get the occasional call from just being listed here. I mainly derive most of my business from friends who are LO. I come here to learn the ins and outs of signings, especially with trusts (had one of those), POA (had a couple of those) and such. The few SS that I have signed up with, I specify weekends only and any assignments that I can't do, I have made some wonderful connections with a very experienced notary and she takes up the slack.

I am truly blessed and I love what I do.

Reply by Ernest_CT on 4/1/05 3:59pm
Msg #29195

Working mothers of small children ...

... deserve all the respect and support we can give them!

Reply by HisHughness on 4/1/05 4:17pm
Msg #29202

Re: Working mothers of small children ...

Eernest comments:

***working mothers of small children deserve all the respect and support we can give them.***

As do working fathers of small children, who face precisely the same difficulties with the additional problem that all the attention and social services seem to get focused on working mothers. As a former single parent, I can testify to that in spades. You will note that it is called the WIC (Women, Infants, Children) Program, not the PIC (Parents, Infants, Children) Program.

Which doesn't even begin to address the issue of non-custodial fathers of small children who face an entirely different set of -- and sometimes more wrenching -- problems

Reply by Ernest_CT on 4/1/05 4:28pm
Msg #29205

(hanging his head in shame) You're right!

I apologize to the working fathers of small children. And to the non-custodial parents of any children.

Reply by Nicole_NCali on 4/1/05 6:06pm
Msg #29216

Re: Thank God for my husband

D-: I don't think that I would be able to successfully handle all of the things that I do handle without my husband. I applaud men who are the custodial parent and responsible non custodial parent. It is tough raising and nurturing children.

Reply by Northern CA signer on 4/2/05 11:01am
Msg #29259

Makes you happy

Nicole:

I look at people like that in this way, they are a gift really. They give you a chance to get mad, evaluate yourself and your interface with the world, and count all your gifts. You are not a bitter, unhappy hag, like she appears to be. You are doing what you want to do, and have control over your life. She sounds trapped and unhappy. People like her give us all a chance to count our many blessings, and maybe even ask the universe to give her a wee chance at being a happier person. Just a thought.

Reply by Serina/VT on 4/2/05 4:14pm
Msg #29276

Re: WIC...

It's called the Women, Infants and Childrens program because men, being the sturdy creatures that they are, rarely need nutritional support during pregnancy and lactation ;)

I'm sorry I just couldn't help myself, in a fiesty mood today

Reply by HisHughness on 4/2/05 4:51pm
Msg #29279

Re: WIC...

Serina/VT retorts:

***It's called the Women, Infants and Childrens program because men, being the sturdy creatures that they are, rarely need nutritional support during pregnancy and lactation ;)***

That's a nice fairy story, except that the pregnant/lactating population is only part of the clientele served. The remainder is parents with children up to 12 years old; you find very few children of 12 who need lactation.

Why is it that when an example of bias against males is mentioned, it can't just be accepted for the discrimination that it is, but that it has to be undermined in some way? The name of the WIC program sounds in bigotry; why not just accept that and realize that males also can be targets of such bias?

Reply by Serina/VT on 4/3/05 6:25am
Msg #29363

Re: WIC...

Having been a receipient of WIC I can tell you that men are just as welcome to apply for the program as women are. My witty comment went over your head Hugh. Women who are not pregnant or have stopped breast feeding are NO LONGER eligible to recieve WIC services for themselves.

Why do you feel WIC discrimanates against men?

Reply by HisHughness on 4/3/05 9:50am
Msg #29367

Re: WIC...

Serina asks:

***Why do you feel WIC discrimanates against men?***

We are probably the only two readers on this forum who have any interest in this subject at all, so I'm going to drop it after this response.

I realize that men as parents are eligible for WIC, which was precisely my point. The nomenclature employed should welcome them, not exclude them. We just don't address that sort of issue where men are concerned. Having spent about 25 years as a volunteer and a professional in gender-related work, I can tell you that the only >>>statutory<<< gender discrimination today is against males, not females. Good examples are draft registration, and programs which created judicial gender bias review panels in virtually every state that refused to examine judicial discrimination against males, i.e., gender bias in the administration of the death penalty (and virtually every other criminal punishment), and the lack of publicly funded legal resources for men in family law matters.

Reply by SarahBeth_CA on 4/2/05 11:01am
Msg #29258

Re: This will floor all:Told by borrower, I was too dressed

Oh man I did the up at 4:40, get kids and myself ready. Take 2 to school 1 across town to daycare. Then hop on on the freeway, be there at 8. Then the after work race to pick them all up before daycare closed for a couple of years. I gave half my check to the daycare and after school programs. The kids hated it. I hated it. The house suffered alot. I wished I could quit. My hubby landed a decent job a year after getting his degree. Youngest diagnosed with autism. Then I said forget it. I was needed to much at home. But you know Socal, housing is so expensive. So here I am a signing agent. Something that I can do part-time and still have a little bit of a life. Sure hope it takes off soon.

Reply by ERNA_CA on 4/3/05 12:51pm
Msg #29384

Re: This will floor all:Told by borrower, I was too dressed

I comend you for your strenth. Was a single mother my self.
Good luck with your signings.

Reply by SarahBeth_CA on 4/2/05 11:07am
Msg #29260

Re: This will floor all:Told by borrower, I was too dressed

I don't think she was jealous. I think she was just putting in her 2 cents of gripe over all the different fees in the closing costs. You guys shoulda seen the notary that did our refi. He had on jeans and a sweatshirt. I could not have cared less cuz I wanted to sign and get a check. But I don't think I'll be wearing jeans to a signing any time soon...

Reply by sue on 4/2/05 4:01pm
Msg #29275

I personally would never get into a discussion like that with a borrower. When she said you looked nice and were you to dress for your job I'd have answered 'thank you' with nothing else. I'm not sure what you meant by she started reviewing her forms - how did she get them? I only hand one document at a time, go over the highlights, get it signed and handed back to me - then onto the next document. Her comment about your fees would have gone totally unacknowledged by me - it's none of her business whether you do or don't have a fulltime job and why you do or don't do this job.

I very seldom indulge in chit chat. Borrowers ask where I live and if I'm in my town I say "out by K-Mart"(which is true). If I'm in a different town I tell my city. How many kids do I have? "too many". Sometimes when the appt. has gone very well I might make chit chat at or very near the end but you can loose control too easily with borrowers like your lady.

Brenda has the right attitude.

Reply by Nicole_NCali on 4/3/05 4:27pm
Msg #29405

My initial acknowledgment to her comment of looking nice was "thank you", she went to the next level with by assuming the way I looked was by the hud1 notary fees. I don't indulge in extraneous chit chat with the borrower due to some of these people receiving subprime loans and looking for any scapegoat to get out of it. I take my job very serious and get to the point of the issue at hand.

Another poster stated that she chit chatted about rates (very general) with borrowers, they rescinded and tried to blame her. I know the games that some people try to play and this lady was pressing buttons. Unfortunately for her, I have 2 kids who try to push buttons all day and I don't let this bother me. I was being ironic, if a person showed up to my door in the course of a 400k transaction with jeans or a sweatsuit on, I would be leary at best. When my kid's pediatrician showed up to an appointment in a pair of bermuda shorts, I changed the doctor. Like my child's health, finances are considered important and should be treated accordingly.