Posted by Loretta Reed on 8/29/06 7:42am
Msg #141740

Give me an opinion on this one....

Did a signing last night. Title company emailed me the package, as promised. "Then" they called and said that they needed to fax the Hud and a couple of disclosures. Gave them my fax number. Waited, waited, waited. Never got them. Went to work and called her back. She told me that she was faxing them "right now" and I gave her a different fax number from waiting and waiting the first time. Called the signing company and told them what was going on.

Called title company and told them I was leaving, can't wait any longer. Called my husband and asked him to call them and ask them to fax the stuff to him and he would drive them to me (1/2 hour away). He did it and they faxed it to him. 36 pages later, including borrowers copies). I called the signing company and told her what was going on. I needed some compensation for the additional "few documents". She said, "oh, okay". Myhusband drove to my signing and dropped off the HUD and additional docs. This signing made me 1 hour late to each of my 3 closings last night, which made the other 2 title companies, the ones I do alot of closings for, now upset with me.

I emailed the signing company last night and asked for $ additional. Got a response this morning that I would not be compensated any more for the closing, that things happen and I should realize that this is rare and the title company did their best to get the docs to me in a timely matter (not really).

Am I going to over-react or should I just let it go? I rarely take signings from signing companies, I have been in this long enough that I have several attorneys and title companies that I do closings for on a regular basis, for top dollar. I picked up this signing company because they have a great reputation.

Reply by Jersey_Boy on 8/29/06 8:19am
Msg #141752

If you have more than one signing on your schedule for any particular day.... and one of the companies is going to make you one minute late for your other appointments....
THEN MOVE THAT APPOINTMENT TO THE END OF THE NIGHT.

It is not worth it to upset your customers who had the docs to you on time.

**Got a response this morning that I would not be compensated any more for the closing, that things happen and I should realize that this is rare and the title company did their best to get the docs to me in a timely matter (not really).**

Yeah, well sometimes a company is late getting the docs to the notary, and then the notary is forced to move the appointment to the very end of the schedule. If this isn't possible, the notary is forced to cancell the appointment. Things happen and they should realize that this is rare.

Reply by cyndi_ca on 8/29/06 8:24am
Msg #141755

Had to do this very thing just recently. First appt. moved to last and then moved to the next day. No reason why other appts. should suffer. Had one company try to convince me to wait. Sorry, not happenin'.

Reply by Joe_PA on 8/29/06 8:21am
Msg #141753

As I read your post I am waiting for e-mail docs.
It is now 9:00am and signing was scheduled for 9:00am.

I was promised taht docs would be e-mailed to me yesterday afternoon. Got call from title company 4:30pm and told that doc would be e-mailed between 4:00pm and 8:00pm, it was already past 4:00pm. At about 7:20pm I called title company and told that their hands are tied and docs must come from lender. I left office at about 7:30pm figuring I would arrive early today and print docs. In office at 8:00am this morning no docs. I called title company who told me that they knew as they were monitoring situation and they e-mailed lender.

I did the same thing as you I asked for overtime for staying last night and coming in early this morning. Their is no way they can go back to the lender for more money, lender will just refuse and find a different title company.

We are all in this more the money and when you figure the hours you devoted in staying late and arriving early, driving to the closing, the actual closing, and time spend printing the e-mail, its questionable how much you are making.

It is not a rare situation but occurs more times than I like and will from now on tell title companies that if docs are not received in a timely manner their will be an additional charge $xx.00 an hour plus any additional expenses

I think its high time that we all take a stand on this kind of abuse

Joe PA

Reply by Charm_AL on 8/29/06 10:40am
Msg #141787

I consider myself lucky to be busy. Some notaries out there are starving for business. Some are leaving, some are coming in with $$ in their eyes as promised by the experienced in how to make a buck off someone else.
Just got off the phone with my sister in Chicago, homes are just sitting out there for sale in nice suburbs, more homes than buyers. Homes too expensive to be in competition because they were bought/built higher than should have been, but that was the market then. Many are upside down and forced to reconsider their asking price just to move the thing! Then there's the wonderful predatory lender around every block now that has made securing credit come with a counseling course to know what the buyer is getting into.

I consider myself lucky to be a busy notary. I know my stuff and I provide good and professional customer service. I also take the good with the bad. There will always be late docs or other problems around the many jigsaw puzzle pieces that have to fall into place before the close.
We know this, so you take the good with the bad. One day you slide through 3 signings, the next day one has a problem. Deal with it.
As a business owner you learn to adjust and keep on top of it. Whenever I do not have docs at least 3 hours before an apt., I call the borrowers and tell them what's going on and my schedule for the rest of the day in case I'm gone before they send them. I've learned not to panic or get pissed anymore, we spend too much time being pissed and pacing.
Let it go, learn to adjust and put out your fires in a less stressful way and keep this job enjoyable and rewarding for yourself. I know that when I'm done for the night, that I've done my part and the borrowers are happy. We need to deal with issues back and forth between the professionals trying to get this accomplished and not affect the borrower. Remember when you had to close loans at your lawyer's office, he/she was always professionally dressed, smiling and in a good mood. That's customer service! You have no idea what he may have gone through up til the time that you walked into his office or whose head he just ripped off because something wasn't right with your pkg. Remember, you can't read minds and nothing comes easy.

I work for SSs and TCs. Personally I don't concern myself with what the SS makes, I couldn't care less as long as MY fee is met. I know what it takes to make the bills and have a little profit after a year and a half of trying many marketing ideas. Some worked better than others, so I've honed them.

Many years ago, I used to work for an employment company, I ran the sales dept eventually, and the college grad candidates were not concerned with what I made for my efforts in securing them a career and all the crap and stress I went through everyday as long as the money and benefits were there.
So I can say, I've been on the other side of the table. Yes there were those that wouldn't use our services because they could do it themselves or came up with a better way but We prided ourselves on quality and kept our word to all that we dealt with.

As in any business, buying a car, buying a home, securing financing, hiring a lawyer, shopping the internet, you are always going to have the good and bad and that is the same way I feel about SSs and TCs alike. There will always be the slippery snake in a suit in any field you can think of.
Stay ahead of the game, how do you want your garden to grow? Put some effort into 'weeding' your garden. Patience, tenacity, hard work and great people skills are my seeds.

Thanks for reading MY 2 cents

Reply by Loretta Reed on 8/29/06 11:14am
Msg #141804

Boy, what a great reply. I appreciate it. After 10 years, I certainly take the good with the bad and I never, ever, take it out on the borrower.

I have more than patient with title companies and I have tried to be as flexible as possible. I will put a time limit on when I need docs and if they are not ready and I am pressed for time, they will have to reassign it to someone else or go to the back of the line.

Reply by BarbaraL_CA on 8/29/06 11:27am
Msg #141809

Re: Give me an opinion on this one.... nice...

"Stay ahead of the game, how do you want your garden to grow? Put some effort into 'weeding' your garden. Patience, tenacity, hard work and great people skills are my seeds."
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Nice analogy Charm.

Reply by Jim/MI on 8/29/06 11:35am
Msg #141813

So Right on - NM n/m

Reply by Tina_MA on 8/29/06 12:42pm
Msg #141829

I have a drop-dead time for e-docs.

If I have other appointments scheduled, then the appointment with no docs gets put to the end of the day. The other companies have sent their docs in a timely manner, and their appointments should take place on time.

If there is a Kinko's near the borrower's home, then the company can email the docs there, and I'll pick them up in transit.

If TC not happy with their appointment going to the end of the day and does not want to email docs to Kinko's, then they can find someone else to do the closing.

You should never put other closings in jeopardy due to the actions of another company.

Reply by BrendaTx on 8/29/06 12:45pm
Msg #141831

**If TC not happy with their appointment going to the end of the day and does not want to email docs to Kinko's, then they can find someone else to do the closing.**

Tina's post sums it up in a nutshell. Too late for this one, however, I think your question was: Do you go after the signing service for extra billing?

If they okayed it on the phone. Yes.