Posted by Anonymous on 12/17/05 11:29am
Msg #83128

Has anyone just walked out...???

I'm a newbie in CA and I've done about 20 signings and all have been fairly straight forward. Yesterday I get a call from a SS that I've already worked with and I like. Appt had not yet been set. e-docs have date already printed for 12-16.

I called the BO and left a message stating I'd like to try and schedule between 6-7pm. She never calls back. Finally close to 6 I call her again, son gives me her cell #. I call and leave another message. She calls around 6:45 to tell me she knew nothing about signing tonight and hasn't talked to hubby who is non-obligor. She will try and work it out and sign. She calls at 7:15 to tell me hubby will be ready at 8:00pm...no prob, I get there and no hubby.

Hubby comes in while I'm ID'ing her and he starts cursing her out!! Not D@mn, but the F word, and I'm sitting literally in the middle of them. She trys to ignore him but he keeps going. He is upset that he has to sign and didn't know about it. Not only that, he thinks he is on the loan and is repsonsible. I tell them I can reschedule after they have talked it over but she says no and he just keeps blah blah blahing. Finally I show him that he is not on the note but he is on the DOT and he quiets down and agrees to sign. The entire time however he keeps making snide little comments to her across the table. It's obvious that the wife has no idea what type of loan she has. Nor is she clear on what the LO discussed with her. So I give her paper so she can take notes on all the questions she keeps asking that I can't answer for her. (stuff she discussed with lender) I can tell she's embarrased and Hubby keeps saying "you got screwed, you should call and cancel on Monday" and " call Ditech tomorrow"

Turns out, they are getting divorced and part of the deal is she has to give him a huge chunk of money from the loan proceeds.

Has anyone ever left a signing that gets a little too out of control? I called the SS to let them know that they signed but not very happy. Also, the docs are being sent to the Lender. Should I add a little note to give them a heads up that BO may be calling? TIA, would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Reply by Glenn Strickler on 12/17/05 11:48am
Msg #83130

Ah, yes, the old divorce settlement. I've done a couple of those and It got pretty uncomfortable. Only thing is, I am a pretty big guy and I never felt threatened myself. Just uncomfortable over the situations and I completed the signings. Gender and size do matter.

If you ever feel personally threatened that either party may do you harm, then you need to get the hell out of there. No amount of $$ is worth getting hurt over. Then notify the SS or TC and they can send a big guy over or perhaps you can arrange to meet the signer at a neutral loacaion.

Glad you got out in one piece.

Reply by B__CA on 12/17/05 12:20pm
Msg #83141

Very good answer!

Reply by calipat on 12/17/05 12:04pm
Msg #83135

I have had a couple of divorce situtaions also. I was very lucky to have all of them be very amicable. One couple actually seemed as if they still loved each other...very weird.
I was thankful for those situations, until I got the divorce from hell. The wife came home to find the hubby signing and she went ballistic. He had told me she would be there at 7:30 (signing was at 7 with him). I said that was fine as I just needed a couple of signatures from her.
She walks in the door and starts screaming at the top of her lungs that he should not have started w/o her. He said I told you to be here at 7 and you said you did not want to sit through the whole process. She still kept on screaming calling him every disgusting name and then some. He was real calm about it.
He had 3 sigantures left besides my book when she walked in. He finished and I calmly put everything in my bag and told her I was not comfortable with her ranting and raving and I was going to send everything in w/o her signature and who knows when she would be able to sign. She said nothing against you I just hate him!. I told her that's fine, but I do not appreciate it. She said let me just go to the bathroom and freshen up and I will sign.
I told her I will wait 5 mins in my car and then would leave. I did not want to stay in the house did not know what she was going to do. She came out about 2 mins later tansformed into a beautiful butterfly. I could not believe she was the same person. She signed her stuff and wanted to expalin her reason for ranting and raving. I told her there was no need for me to know. I wished her a good night and left.
I hope this never happens to me again.
The life of a public servent. LOL

Reply by AmandaCA on 12/17/05 1:04pm
Msg #83144

I have only had one strange situation like that. The husband went ballistic when he realized the loan was arm not fixed; non borrowing wife and their kids walked in during the middle of this (divorcing and she was living elsewhere.) Each one of us sat there listening to him as he called the lender. When it became obvious to me from his side of the conversation he was unhappy with the loan (screaming and yelling, ranting and raving) I walked out. I told the wife "looks like no one will be signing today." and I left. That was it period. I was not about to sit there and listen to his abuse.

Speaking of divorce....my very first notary ever was divorce papers for a neighbor of mine. He did not know we were neighbors, I only knew by the address. A year later I did a refi signing for him. He had to include a copy of his divorce papers with the loan. I don't think he ever realized I was the same notary or his neighbor. I couldn't wait to get out of there.

Reply by Stamper_WI on 12/17/05 3:02pm
Msg #83150

I had one in the attorney's office with both husband and wife's attorneys present. A question came up and title co was called. turns out the title co was not informed of the divorce and stopped the signing. While the previously pleasant attorneys and their clients exploded (wife had told me this was the last thing to attend to before divorce was final), I quietly packed up and left...with the documents. I saw their divorce posted in the paper about 6 months later.

Reply by Theresa Codilla on 12/17/05 4:04pm
Msg #83153

When I was in a divorce signing at fast food restaurant, the husband started cursing and wife said that she was going to call the police. I politely excused myselft and told them that I can not do the signing in that situation.

Reply by Premier Signing Services on 12/18/05 11:41am
Msg #83242

I advise all of my Notaries that if for any reason they are not comfortable or do not feel safe, they are to pack up and leave and re-schedule either in our office or at a neutral public location, if they even wish to re-schedule. After all, it is just a loan and not worth risking the safety of my Notaries. They come first. We have never had a notary walk out of a signing, but we have had a few divorce situations where they have left the room and let things calm before continuing. If I know ahead of time that it is a divorce situation, they come to my office to close and are on our turf, not theirs. This way if things get out of hand, we simply ask them to leave or have them arrested. We have never had a situation in our office. It takes the advantage away from them and gives it to us.

Reply by Linda_in_MI on 12/19/05 5:37pm
Msg #83472

But do they really know if it is a divorce situation?

I had a signing recently where I asked the SS if faxbacks were involved. I heard some papers being rattled, and the rep told me that no, it doesn't look like faxbacks are requiredt. Turns out 23 pages were required to be faxed back. I included the charge and explanation on my invoice -- and got paid.