Posted by Desiree Roman Innovations, Inc. on 9/27/05 2:18pm
Msg #67629
Didn't follow my instinct... LONG
and accepted a double late Friday PM to be completed Saturday at a location 25+ miles one way. In addition, to be NICE, I even discounted them my fee because they were only getting paid XX amount of dollars and wanted to be able to make SOME type of money from the closing. Additionally, this was a SPANISH closing, which often takes LONGER than English closings, so I was doing a DOUBLE for almost less than HALF of my normal fee to help the SA out. To help this SA out further, I even dropped the package on Saturday in a MAD DASH to Fedex before the pickup time because it was a purchase and they needed it back ASAP. Couldn't find anything on the notary boards about this SA but gave them the benefit of the doubt. Why did I do that?
Tell me why I receive a phone call (marked PRIVATE on Caller ID) to tell me they were encountering a problem with the 2nd pkg, as the brwr, who signed first, middle, and last name completely on ALL the docs, managed to get the last few letters of his name on the flag which pointed where he was to sign. Not that it's an excuse, but after a FULL hour of going through 100+ pages in the 1st pkg, by the time we got to the 2nd pkg, we were running on empty. I should have thought to move the flags or take them off, but again, 'brain on empty.' While he was signing, I was observing him and it appeared he was signing around the flags, but maybe one or two of his signatures caught the beginning of a flag or two, but not on any of the key/recording docs, maybe on a disclosure or two. Not a big deal, right? Wrong. Apparently, it was a big enough problem for the SA to call me to tell me about it. I stated I couldn't imagine he signed his full signatures on all the flags as it appeared he was signing around the flags, but if that was the case I would be happy to go back to the borrower to have him add the rest of the letters of his signature on pages where he hit the flag. Instead of accepting my resolution to rectify the situation, I'm scolded about their disappointment on my reaction and how embarrassed they were for their client. I stated again that I apologized for the error and would be more than happy to return with those pages to have him complete whatever the letters that ended up on the flags. I'm told they were already handling it and just wanted me to know the problem they were having. HUH?? Well if you already handled it, why call me and try to make a federal case about it when it's clearly something that was rectifiable? In any closing where there is a notary error, its standard that the notary return to the brwr free of charge to rectify that error. So if I'm clearly offering to return to rectify any problems and you are making a point of stating you are handling it, then why all the fuss and drama? Unless of course, IT WASN'T a real problem, and the SA was trying to MAKE it a problem, as if I would say "Oh, I'm sorry about that, you don't have to pay me for that assignment because of that error." It's extremely suspicious that it was such a huge problem, yet they managed to take care of it, and equally suspicious that it wasn't something they wanted me to go back and rectify. I should have asked them to fax me copies of it so I could see for myself. Some SAs have a lot of nerve and you just can't be nice or do any of the them any favors because then they turn around and try to pull a fast one. Next time, no accepting of last minute assignments from SAs I can't find on the boards, definitely no discounts, and especially no mad dashes to drop the package. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
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Reply by Anonymous on 9/27/05 7:25pm
Msg #67679
Agree with you 100% Charles...
I have, in fact, told the "slimy" SS this (when they tell me "I can't pay that, I'm not even getting that. OR I can't pay that because I don't make any money"...)
I'm sorry but you're getting jipped then if you only ask for $125-150 a deal. Because I've done the math and if I wanted to do what you do with your SS business, then I wouldn't be able to take less than $xxx because I know that the notaries worth hiring to get the job done right, are getting $150 for refi-edoc package. I'd re-think your business plan.
Then I go into this... "you know, if you really think about it. If your smart you look at it this way...SS #1 (getting $200 per deal) who pays their notaries no less than $85 for a heloc and $150 for a refi, printed & within a fair driving distance AND pays them at the least "net 30", has little "WORK" at getting notaries to work with them and rarely has to SEARCH for one to get a job done. SS#1 will have the lenders as "life-long" clients who understand proficiency is priceless.
BUT
SS#2 ( getting $150 a deal) who "wheels & deals" for the bottom dollar for a notary, rarely ever offering more than $100 on any 1st & 2nd even, because they believe that more "clients" will use them if they can undercut the SS#1's in the industry by 25%+, will be searching until the sun comes up to sucker someone into working to make the SS rich because they will take the majority of the fee. Then SS#2 starts to cross their fingers and pray that they hired the "$50 notary" who could at least get the notarizations done correctly because if they screw up on the non-notarized docs they can just resend them (or doc them up themselves, ( adding witnesses for example) and have the borrower sign and over-night back to them with out an additional fee to the "professional " notary costing now, MORE than what it would've been had they tried to HELP the industry to keep the fees where they should be.
It's another example of the circle of life. Fair warning though SS's....there will be something coming out that could literally "push" you out of that circle. Fair warning though and if I were you I'd think about getting your act together and on the up & up AND start "contributing to" rather than "take from" the team of people that are necessary in the process. It might be the onyl thing that will keep you in the game.
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