Posted by Sylvia_FL on 6/1/06 1:40pm
Msg #123467

Children at signings!

I just found out today that a notary I sent out to do a signing took her 3 year old grand daughter with her. The LO was present at the signing and was not happy.
It is never a good idea to take a child to a signing.
This was the first time I had used this signing agent, and because of her unprofessionalism I won't be calling her again.

Signing agents children or grandchildren do not belong at signings.

Reply by Jersey_Boy on 6/1/06 1:44pm
Msg #123468

When my wife and I refinanced about a year ago, the SA that came out was 45 minutes late. She was wearing jean shorts and a stained t-shirt, and was dragging her 3 year old with her.

She did not call to inform us of her lateness, nor did she ask permission to bring the child (if she had asked, I probably would have said that it was fine).

I couldn't help myself but to grab her confirmation to see that she was being paid $65.00 for a first and second edoc.

Needless to say, I was nice to the SA, but the moment she was out the door I was on the telephone giving both the lender, the title company, and the signing agency a rash of SH**.

Reply by SarahBeth_CA on 6/1/06 1:44pm
Msg #123469

What I don't understand is....

why any one would even consider it an option. It's not right for the borrower, the sa, or the child.

Reply by GandP Mobile Notaries on 6/1/06 1:44pm
Msg #123470

Agreed! that's part of Notary 101.

Reply by Becca_FL on 6/1/06 1:46pm
Msg #123471

What the heck is wrong with some people? I did a re-sign for a couple that told me the previous Notary had brought her child to the signing and had the audacity to tell the child to just go find somewhere to play. The borrowers could not believe it and decided not to sign just to get the wacko and her kid out of their home.

Gee, if I could figure out a way to bottle common sense, I'd be rich!

Reply by NCLisa on 6/1/06 2:09pm
Msg #123473

I took my 15 year old daughter to a signing last night at Panera Breads. The signing was a 1st, 2nd & purchase of another property. I knew if she didn't come with me, she wouldn't eat. She sat a couple tables over, did her homework, read her book and listened to her mp3 player. She ate dinner, and didn't speak to us once, so I don't even know if the borrower realized she was along.

One time last year, I took my daughter and her horse to a closing. The borrower had some emergency come up, and called and begged me to get there there in the next 15 minutes. My daughter had just finished her riding lesson, and we had just gotten the horse in the trailer to go home. We didn't have time to take him home so they came with me. My daughter sat in the trailer and talked to her horse for the closing, it was a HELOC that took about 15 minutes. Again, the borrowers didn't know they were outside, but all the neighbors came to say hello to the horse.

Normally I would not take my daughter along, but last night, in a public place where she is old enough not to bother us, it isn't a problem. As for taking her into someones home, I would never do that. I get annoyed enough when borrowers can't deal with their own kids during the closing.

Reply by hcampersFL on 6/1/06 2:29pm
Msg #123476

I had to take my son with me last week. I was called at the last minute while on the road and he stayed in the car while I did the signing. He is 12 1/2 and sat in the back seat watching an X-men dvd, I was gone 10 minutes.
I would NEVER take my child into someone elses home or take him with me under "normal" circumstances.

Reply by BetsyMI on 6/1/06 2:33pm
Msg #123478

This is not unique to signing agents. I used to work in a ticket office for a major airline, and many people came in to see if we had any job openings. I can't tell you how many of them were dragging along kids, friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, parents, and wearing jeans, cutoffs, halter tops, t-shirts, plus chewing gum, smoking, eating, or looking like they just washed the car. Some people just have no common sense.

Reply by Nicole_NCali on 6/1/06 2:50pm
Msg #123480

Kids and Signings do not mix

As a mother of 2 small children (2 y/o and 6.5 y/o), I would have to be off my rocker to take them to a signing. They are at a stage where they are driving me bonkers, so the signings that I do take is a break away from the insanity. Thank God for my husband and friends. I leave them with their dad and go happily off to Adult world.

Reply by GenB_CA on 6/1/06 4:28pm
Msg #123497

Re: Kids and Signings do not mix...work = vacation

I know exactly what you mean. Even EOM craziness feels like a vacation sometimes when dealing with three rowdy girls ages 9, 5, and 4!

Reply by MelissaCT on 6/2/06 10:11am
Msg #123631

I've only had to do that once, due to late edocs & bwr unwilling to sign late at night. BUT I told the bwr in no uncertain terms that the ONLY way I could accommodate a morning signing the next day was to bring my 4-year-old with me. I offered to sign late night or to cancel & have someone else come out the next day instead. Bwr also had a 4-year-old & told me to bring my son, the kids could play while we signed. The signing took a bit longer, because I was keeping an eye on my son & made sure he put back everything he played with (we left the place cleaner than it was when we arrived). He was very cooperative in playing & cleaned up very well. I would NEVER show up with him in tow, or an animal/friend/etc. unless I had made it quite clear with the bwr first and it was a last resort. I'd rather lose the deal & pass it to someone else than attend in such an unprofessional manner. I do the same if I'm ased to bring a witness (CT being a witness state) -- I tell the SS/TC and bwr that the ONLY way I can do it is by bringing my 4-year-old, since hubby would be the witness. I also state in no uncertain terms that I REALLY prefer NOT to do that & offer an alternative such as going to a public place & trying to find a witness there to meet that requirement. Typically, the post office or library works well for that.

There are times when it may be unavoidable, but I will try to get out of the situation first & foremost. If the bwr/SS/TC insists on my conducting the signing under those circumstances, they know ahead of time that is the situation and are fully aware.

On a separate note, I am always up-front about issues like that, whether I am unavailable for the requested timeframe (caller asks for 6pm signing & I'm already booked for that time, I will state up-front that I am unavailable at that time, but could accommodate at 7:30 instead), or if I would have to make any type of change in location, etc. I do lose some requests as a result, but it prevents PO'd borrowers/LO's, etc. Of course, some companies say "whatever you can do, we don't care", but the others appreciate that I'm upfront with them. I'll even recommend another notary they can check with to see if that person is available for the requested time/place, instead of me.

Reply by NCLisa on 6/2/06 1:50pm
Msg #123710

I did tell the one set of borrowers that I would be there in their 15 minute time frame but with horse trailer in tow. I'm sure they didn't care since said horse would be parked in a trailer in their culdesac. They may have not even paid attention to what I said, because they didn't even look at the horse trailer in their culdesac. It was them that needed this closing to be at 6pm rather than the appointed 8pm. I always put my briefcase in the truck when going to my daughters lessons, just in case I get a call like that. Good thing now is that her new riding instructor is across the street, so I don't have far to go to unhook the trailer, or jump in the "old gas saving car (if it isn't in the shop)."

Reply by Julie/MI on 6/1/06 4:40pm
Msg #123500

Of course it's unacceptable, but let's face it, manners are on the way out, it's politically uncorrect to point out someone's mistake--don't want to offend anyone or hurt feelings.

The employees of the mortgage companies come to work in their jeans and use the "f" bomb and "M F" bomb as if it was acceptable. "Freedom of speech, after all.

Borrowers feel it's okay to sign in their home wearing nothing but boxers and a country in Europe is developing a political party of pedophiles (sp)?

And we wonder why some think it's perfectly acceptable to bring a child to a closing?

Reply by hcampersFL on 6/1/06 5:01pm
Msg #123505

With school out for summer it really does feel like a

vacation to go to a closing. I'm already tired of "Mom what's for lucnch, can I have a drink, what are we doing today?, can a friend come over?, I'm board" all before 10 am. LOL

Reply by hcampersFL on 6/1/06 5:03pm
Msg #123508

Oops I meant "bored" n/m

Reply by BrendaTx on 6/1/06 9:11pm
Msg #123549

Re: Oops I meant "bored" Bev - better board than "boared."

Boared? What could that mean?

Probably means you have been provided a massive quantity of hogs .... or .... a boar has done something very boarish and hog-like to you.

Okay - I am caught up on the forum reading / writing for the evening. I am turning in early.

Somebody run Korey on off to bed. It's late in Mass. He's too young to be up at this hour. If he ponders those scary prophesy thoughts he'll be too scared to sleep. I'll be on long distance to Mass half the night reading "Good Night Moon" and "The Pokey Little Puppy."

Reply by Jimmy_FL on 6/1/06 5:02pm
Msg #123507

Sylvia, I can't believe the nerve of some people... I got a

call last Friday to do a loan signing at the last minute, because the notary told the borrowers that she was too tired to do the closing and could she do it Saturday afternoon..Also the notary got really upset with the borrowers for not letting her do the signing when it was convenient for the notary.. The stories that I keep hearing from these companies are truly sad.This is a business and it should be treated as such...

Reply by LkArrowhd/CA on 6/1/06 8:32pm
Msg #123539

Re: Children at signings!Totally unprofessional. What was

she thinking....

Reply by Joan Bergstrom on 6/2/06 12:59am
Msg #123584

If anyone thinks it 's easy to own a Loan Signing Co?

Sylvia is the best in our business!

She owns a Signing Service in Florida for Florida notaries and she is very thorough when she hires a notary/loan-signer and yet she winds up with notary who is a grandmother and is "dumber than a box of rocks."

This loan signer is not 20 years old and clueless but is probably late 40 -50 years old and should know better than to take a child to a signing. What was this woman thinking?

I'm sure this woman had a good "profile" in one of our advertisment websites, or Sylvia would not have hired her and here she is left with a loan officer who is completely ticked off!
Unbelievable!!

Reply by LawrenceOK on 6/2/06 9:30am
Msg #123621

Re: Children at signings!.. My opinion for whats it's worth!

If you are meeting the bwr's in a public place, around lunch or dinner time and the children are OLD enough to sit in a separate booth and mind their manners, then I see no problem.

I had one bwr call me that had to have his loan notarized that night, he had put it off until the last minute. I advised him I was sitting with my niece (11 at the time) and could not accommodate him. He told me he had a daughter the same age so we met at the local Micky D's and he brought his daughter along. The two hit it off and have been friends ever since.

So there are times when it's ok to drag the brats along, but NEVER show up at a bwr's home unprofessionally dressed dragging your kids behind you.