Posted by Bella/CA on 5/10/05 1:27am
Msg #36841

Requesting a death certificate too?

I have a whopping 20 signing under my belt now, but this one took the cake. I had a signing tonight where during the loan process the spouse passed away. I needed not only to ask for a copy of the signers Drivers' License for the title company, but I needed a certified copy of the death certificate. I felt like such a schmo asking for that, and I could tell the signer seemed a little taken back by that, and was angry the signing had to put off another day because I HAD to have that certificate for the loan to close, granted she is still mourning. Has anyone else had to deal with this sort of issue? How did you handle it?
Thanks!

Reply by mmb-fl on 5/10/05 5:45am
Msg #36847

YES I have had to ask. I found out the hard way though. I called the borrower (whom his wife was on the paperwork) and told him I would need his and his spouses driver licence and that they would both have to be present. He said well thats a little hard being she is dead. AUGH .... I immediatly called the title company and told them and they were also floored (or pretended to be because i felt like a moron at this point) .. Anyway I called back and apologized prior to the appt and told him what i would need (copy of death cert) and it was fine. He ended up being a very nice guy but i felt like a moron sitting there. I always mention these things when I call ahead now. I have now done 3 that i needed death certs and I just let them know in advance and they seem to be fine with it.

Reply by Julie-MI on 5/10/05 6:35am
Msg #36852

It's unfortunate the loan officer did not tell her, but it would be a requirement to explain why the deceased was not signing. Sloppy work on the lender's part.

Reply by Ted_MI on 5/10/05 8:50am
Msg #36871

Re: Agreed, but remember......

that as Brenda put it the lenders are at the top of the food chain. So who's going to tell them off? No one.

This situation (not being aware that a spouse has passed away) has happened to me twice, most recently last night. I found it very embarrasing both times. But Julie as you know Michigan is a spousal state, so you really have to ask.

Reply by Lawrence/OK on 5/10/05 11:20am
Msg #36904

Re: Agreed, but remember......

I for one am not afraid to tell the lender were to get off. If they make me look the fool because they droped the hat, you can bet I'm going to stomp on it. I have had this happen to me twice, and both times the borrower was never told by the TC or LO that they needed the certificate.

Reply by SarahBeth_CA on 5/10/05 11:50am
Msg #36911

Re: Agreed, but remember......

Information like this should be included in the instructions. What's funny is we are required by ss to call borrower immediately after accepting the assignment. But how often does the ss know all the stipulations to be collected at the table. Personaly I would prefer waiting till I recieved confirmation and instructions before calling the borrower. But hey if they want an immediate call then that's what I'll do. This could all of course be cleared up if the ss asked all the necesary questions when they recieve the assignment. It would make things run much more efficiently on all ends. And nobody would end up looking like a moron. I mean how many times have we read in our contracts that we notaries many times are the only face to face representation of the lender (when speaking of dressing in professional attire). Even though we explain to the borrower what our possition in the process is they will still think badly of the lender if we look dumb for not having the neccesary information.

Reply by Ted_MI on 5/11/05 11:57am
Msg #37115

Bella,

I imagine no one has had the experience that you did where the circumstances of death were so immediate. But a somewhat comparable situation has happened to me twice, most recently yesterday. As Michigan is a spousal (and also homestead) state it is incumbent upon us nsa's to ask a listed borrower if he or she is married. Twice I was informed that the borrower's spouse had recently died (both times male borrowers). By recently i am talking about in the past three or four months. Both times I found it very embarrasing.

As far as yesterday goes, apparently the lender did not know. All the documents had to be reformulated, and I was requested to obtain an original death certificate, which I did. I did apologize to the borrower, but he was very nice and didn't seem too upset by my mistake.