Posted by Dee-FL on 5/2/05 7:41am
Msg #35254

No shoes - Wierd signing request

I did a signing the other day and was met at the door by the smiling wife. I had been fore-warned by the title company that the wife was frustrated, difficult and not happy. I was told that I was the third signing agent sent to their home. Well, she came to the door holding a small dog and said, "Hello, could you please take off your shoes and leave them at the door". I smiled and very uncomfortably took off my shoes and walked in barefoot. I was so uncomfortable doing this but, it's her house, I thought. Well, to my surprise, I looked down at her husband's feet and you guessed it. He had on shoes! What's the deal with that? During the entire signing she held her dog and talked to it. She couldn't even focus on the docs to be signed she was so wrapped up into the dog. I have a small, loveable dog, also. But, there's a time for cutsie wootsie doggie talk and a time for business. The poor husband massaged his head and smiled during the entire signing. He probably wanted to tell her to put the dog down, but maybe was afraid to do so. What a closing!

Reply by Dogmonger, Ca on 5/2/05 8:00am
Msg #35256

Maybe the dog was her financial counselor:-) Nm

Reply by Art_MD on 5/2/05 8:04am
Msg #35260

Re:and knew more than her LO :-) Nm

Reply by Art_MD on 5/2/05 8:03am
Msg #35258

Re: No shoes - common situation

Quite often when I'm greeted at the door, I see that there are several pairs of shoes by the door and the borrowers are in slippers or barefooted. I just take my shoes off. The borrowers are either grateful or a bit embarrassed - puts me one up on them.

This practice is not at all uncommon overseas. There, they even provide slippers for quests.


Art

Reply by BrendaTx on 5/2/05 8:41am
Msg #35264

Ditto, Art...

If I see a white carpet, or if I see a newly polished floor and I am wearing heels, I offer to take them off, or just do so.

My sister is like that. I don't think anything of it.

Truth of the matter is, the worse thing for carpets is one's bare feet. The oil in your skin is what makes those traffic areas the worse. I trained my kiddos to wear socks or sandals. Dirt you can remove...the oil from feet, not so easy.

Reply by TN Notary on 5/2/05 11:56am
Msg #35302

Re: Ditto, Art...

Same here. I always offer to take my shoes off and sometimes they say yes and others say no, not necessary.

Reply by Sandra G Holland on 1/5/13 12:06am
Msg #448999

Re: No shoes - common situation

I am surprised. Only once have I ever been asked to remove my shoes and that was at a party. Everyone suspects the hostess to be obsessive compulsive. When she asked us to take off our shoes and offered us socks, we all looked at each other, walked in with our shoes, and sat down. I have a relative who goes barefooted, but it is her quirk. She also lives at the beach.

If someone asked me to remove my shoes, I wouldn't want to. I think it is unprofessional. If the person is a germophobe or is very sensitive to diseases, I might.

Doctors tell diabetics never to walk in sandals or barefooted.

Reply by Bob-Chicago on 5/2/05 9:04am
Msg #35266

Tip to NSAs, especially those of female pursuasion

Wear socks, or carry a pair in your purse/brief case etc
I have been in houses where I am ready to throw out my shoes after a signing due to the filth, animals, etc. If I was forced to walk barefoot, I might go striaght to the hospital for a tetnus or typhoid shot . I do not believe how some people live.
I only wear shoes that are easyon/easyoff for this reason
Sometimes I am tempted to say, "I will revove my shoes, if you can make your house smell a bit less like a litterbox" Temptation is a far as I go, though
I also carry a folding four seat picnic table in a car for those folks who have no clean , flat surface available. Bought at Target for $20. light and easy to carry

Reply by Charm_AL on 5/2/05 9:14am
Msg #35267

Re: Tip to NSAs, especially those of female pursuasion

I did a signing yesterday morning in a very pretty home that smelled like 5 litterboxs and she had a thick lace tablecloth on the dining room table. I told her that we'd need a flat surface to sign so she grabs two placemats lol...I couldn't wait to get out of there and she read every line on every doc, took notes...it took an hour and a half

Reply by Dee-FL on 5/2/05 10:17am
Msg #35277

Re: Tip to NSAs, especially those of female pursuasion

Taking my shoes off was a bit unusual for me, as it may not be for others. But, as I stated earlier, the husband had on shoes with thick rubber bottoms. My shoes also had rubber bottoms. This is what made me even more uncomfortable. And, the dog at the table was definitely a bit much for me.

Reply by TN Notary on 5/2/05 12:00pm
Msg #35304

Re: Tip to NSAs, especially those of female pursuasion

Well, I had several bad incidents but my worse was when I went to put the docs on the table and roaches started scurring across the table. I was afraid to put my bag down thinking roaches would climb in it. I could not get through that signing quick enough, unfortunately the borrower was very old and she had her daughter looking everything over. That was the worse appointment I ever had.

Reply by ERNA_CA on 5/2/05 12:45pm
Msg #35319

Re: Tip to NSAs, especially those of female pursuasion

We don't wear shoes in the house in Scandinavia and it is the same in most oriental cultures. Took me awhile to get used to people wearing shoes in the house, one reason i put tile and wood flooring in my houses, no carpet in common areas.

Reply by Dee-FL on 5/2/05 1:08pm
Msg #35321

Re: Tip to NSAs, especially those of female pursuasion

This family was not Scandinavian nor were they of any oriental descent. They were as Northern American as you can get. But, anyway "To each as his own", I guess. Their home was very nice. They had wood flooring as well as carpet, so maybe that had something to do with it. Who knows?

Reply by Joan-OH on 5/2/05 3:51pm
Msg #35360

I think this has to do with what part of the country you're from. In Ohio, I don't even ask, I just take off my shoes (unless the house is really filthy). Some tell me it's not necessary, others thank me. When you see a pile of shoes by the door, or the borrowers are in their socks or slippers, they kind of keys you in to what they do in their home.

It could be your borrowers were transplants from up North where it is more common to remove shoes.

Joan-OH

Reply by Charm_AL on 5/2/05 4:38pm
Msg #35367

I'm from Chicago and we always took our shoes off at the door as kids.
My kids took theirs off too. Down here I have a very light colored carpet and we remove our shoes and put slippers on...not to mention remnants inside and outside the doors.
If I see a shoe mat or white carpeting I ask if they want me to take my shoes off, they usually say "oh no, you don't have to".
I would die if someone asked me to do that in a less than clean house lol
good suggestion on carrying booties or socks in your briefcase as I usually wear dress sandals.

Reply by CaliNotary on 5/2/05 4:41pm
Msg #35370

I had somebody ask me to remove my shoes once. I did, only to walk into a floor covered completely in linoleum. I thought that was a bit ridiculous, but since he was Asian I just chalked it up to a cultural thing more than wanting to protect the floor.

Reply by JanetK/CA on 5/2/05 6:50pm
Msg #35405

If I see a pile of shoes at the door, I always ask if they would like me to take my shoes off. (I typically wear pantyhose, so I don't mind. I know, call me crazy!) The last time that happened they said no, but usually they are grateful I asked and thank me for leaving my shoes.

I've been there, too, with the dog in the lap, more than once. Usually it's an expensive home with a wife who doesn't work (and the dog is her "baby".) Very annoying, since they don't tend to pay any attention to what's going on. They're the ones I've found I need to check over especially carefully. Fortunately, they're the exception [even in"The OC"! ;>)]

Reply by WINotaryGAl on 5/3/05 5:15pm
Msg #35620

At one signing, the frisky family cat jumped on the table, landed on the stack of signed docs began scattering and biting the loan documents. Papers were flying everywhere.