Posted by Sonya, Esq, on 8/18/05 3:43pm
Msg #59966

Non-payment of fees

I have a question. A lot of notaries are bonded. A bond is liike an insurance policy. You have the right ot file a claim for your money. I went though my books today and filed 5 claims against companies that owe me money. If a bonding agency receives enough claims against a company's bond, they will drop them as clients, without a bond a lot of companies cannot operate nor can people practice as notories.

We really need to start self-policing the signing industry.

Reply by Dmartz_IN on 8/18/05 3:51pm
Msg #59971

You have no right what so ever to file a claim on someones bond for payment of sevices, I don't know where you got that idea from.

Reply by Sonya, Esq. on 8/18/05 3:59pm
Msg #59974

Who says I cannot? I do it all the time. Thats the purpose of the bond to protect the public from harm. My not getting paid is significant harm to me. Companies that do not pay do not need to be in business!

Reply by Dmartz_IN on 8/18/05 4:04pm
Msg #59977

When you are contracted to do a job you are not John Q. Public

Reply by Glenn CA on 8/18/05 4:07pm
Msg #59978

Have you ever received payment?

Reply by Sonya. Esq. on 8/18/05 4:13pm
Msg #59983

Every time I made a claim, I receive payment. I am a former claims attorney for a bonding company. Your average person does not know that they have the right to amke claims against the bonds of most companies.

I cannnot tell you the numbe rof claims I have paid out to people for bogus stuff that they bought on ebay.

Ever bought a used car from a dealor, nomatter how small the dealor was, you have th erigh to make ac laima giant their bond. ALWAYS no matter how small or obscure the company is contact the secretary of state for the name of the conapnies's bonding agency. It is a good idea to print some of the emails of the compaints about the comapny from this website and inlcude it with your claim.

What do you have to lose by doign so? A .37 cent stamp?

Reply by The SIgning DOc on 8/18/05 8:50pm
Msg #60065

THis is a bit off the subject Ms. Sonya...however, you claim that you were a former claims attorney. Reading your postings, i.e. mispellings...grammer etc., if I was looking for someone who was attentive to details, I would not hire you...I hope the rest of you don't flame me for my opinion...after all we all have a right to opine.
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Reply by Sonya, Esq. on 8/18/05 4:08pm
Msg #59979

If a car blindslides you on your way to do a job, are you not going to sue the insurance company for the damage to your car?

Reply by Dmartz_IN on 8/18/05 4:11pm
Msg #59982

you are talking about two different things now. I just had my brother come into my office and read what you posted he is a lawyer for our company he just advised me not to try that.

Reply by Sonya, Esq. on 8/18/05 4:14pm
Msg #59984

To each his own. I know every claim I have filed I have received payment for.

Reply by Sara-NV on 8/18/05 4:10pm
Msg #59980

Sonya, I'm really confused about your post. You're talking about filing a claim against a signing service for not paying your fee as a notary signing agent? Are you saying that the SS take out surety bonds like a notary does? DMartz is right; a surety bond protects the PUBLIC. Not sure what you're talking about.

Reply by Sonya on 8/18/05 4:16pm
Msg #59986

A surety bond protects everyone. I do not know who DMartz is. How do you know that he is not a SS? Of course, they will want to give out false information. Again, it cannot hurt to try.

Reply by Dmartz_In on 8/18/05 4:18pm
Msg #59988

I am the owner of a Private Detective & Collection Agency

Reply by Sonya on 8/18/05 4:18pm
Msg #59989

Let me explain it to you this way. I am a licensed attorney. If I do work for another attorney, he has the right to file a complaint againt me just like the general public, why should he not be allowed to file a complaint just becausse he is an attorney too?

Reply by TitleGalCA on 8/18/05 4:19pm
Msg #59990

Re: Non-payment of fees Sonya

Sonya, this is new to me too. Please see Sara's question again.

So, a notary can file a claim against a SS by going after their...notary bond?? Or is another (E/O) bond that the SS has in place? I'm confused too.

Reply by Sonya, Esq. on 8/18/05 4:23pm
Msg #59994

Re: Non-payment of fees Sonya

I filed a complaint against a company today. The owner was Joe Blue. I filed the complaint against Joe Blue individually and also as the owner of Blue's Signing Service. He had 2 bonds, 1 for himself and 1 for his company. So I filed 2 claims. 1 bond as a notary and the second bond for his company.

I

Reply by Glenn_CA on 8/18/05 4:37pm
Msg #59997

Re: Non-payment of fees Sonya

OK, I don't mean to sound dumb or anything, so as I understand it, If you do a job for a signing service and don't get paid, you can file a claim against the bond on file with the state? And you've actually received payment?

So that brings some questions.

How do you file a claim?

How long do you wait for payment before fileing a claim?

This is great stuff if it works. Someone is going to wake up!!

Reply by Sonya on 8/18/05 4:48pm
Msg #60001

Re: Non-payment of fees Sonya

Before doing a signing I ask how long is the payment process? If its 30 days, I wait 30 days and then send a letter requesting payment, certified mail. If no response, I contact the seceretary of state or Attorney Generals Office of the state where the company is located and ask for the bonding companie's information. Then I contact the bonding company directly.

Usually, I write the bonding company the same time as I write the company because I know that I will not get a response, I just hold the letter until I receive confirmation of delivery from the post office.

Also, if suing in small claims court sending a demand for payment via ceretifed mail looks real good to a judge. As well as printing oput copies of opstings where other people had similar problems. I made two people lose their licenses because I was able to show tha tthye had a history of not paying ppl. A judge actually looked up a website on his laptop in court and after seeing all the bad postings about that company awarded me more than what I was asking for.

Reply by Sara-NV on 8/18/05 5:05pm
Msg #60020

Re: Non-payment of fees Sonya

What department or division at the SofS or A/G's office do you obtain the info on the company from? Wouldn't they only have information on companies doing business in their own state? In other words, Nevada wouldn't have information and the bonding agency of a company who is registered or doing business in California.

Reply by Sonya on 8/18/05 7:04pm
Msg #60040

Re: Non-payment of fees Sonya

Of course not, you should contact the regulatory agency of the sttae where the company is located.

Reply by Dmartz_IN on 8/18/05 7:18pm
Msg #60045

Re: Non-payment of fees Sonya

Sonya,
We just got back from the law firm that my brother works for, we asked 10 lawyers in the firm about this and the all said to their knowledge this has never been done before and would be very interested in reveiwing the court dockets as to an award of this type from a professional bond.

Reply by Sonya, Esq on 8/18/05 10:56pm
Msg #60106

Re: Non-payment of fees Sonya

Have them send a SASE to PO Box 1212, Greenbelt, MD. 20768. Include a money order for 10.00 for copying costs and I will send over the documents. The claims against the bond were not court papers, they were claims made directly to the bonding company.

Also, what kind of law firm does your brother work for? One of the first things you learn in law school is how to obtain court documents for various legal matters/issues. I will give you a hint for him, Westlaw or Lexis.

Reply by Dmartz_IN on 8/18/05 11:27pm
Msg #60118

Re: Non-payment of fees Sonya

They are a corporate Business law firm here in Indiana, My brother also is a collection attorney
The remark about you giving him a hint about obtaining court Doc's was totaly uncalled for.
As you stated yourself there was no court action to obtain payment from the bonding company so there would be no information on Westlaw or Lexis. So in fact you bullshitted some bonding company into paying you to get you off their back and it worked and i am happy you got paid.

Reply by Sonya on 8/19/05 1:01am
Msg #60128

Re: Non-payment of fees Sonya

RIFF-Reading is fundamental, I did not have to BS a bonding company to give me $, I provided the email confirmation from the SS, as well as other loan-realted docuemtns and received reimbursement.

Reply by SherryB on 8/18/05 5:09pm
Msg #60023

I own a signing service and I do not have a bond on my company....Never heard of this before and neither have my colleagues..Than again..I pay so I dont have to worry..In all honesty, I have never heard of a signing agency having a bond.

Reply by Sonya on 8/18/05 7:09pm
Msg #60042

Even if poeple do not make claims on bonds, why don't more people make complaints to the BBB, the SOS or the Attorney General's office? I know from personal experience that the BBB investigates all claims whether there is merit to them or not.

Reply by Anonymous on 8/18/05 8:40pm
Msg #60061

Are you the one who erroniously claimed that notaries could legally withold loan docs for payment?

Reply by sonya on 8/18/05 10:57pm
Msg #60107

nope, not me I know better.