Posted by Sylvia_FL on 5/18/06 9:13am
Msg #120673

Negative experience with NFRES

I have worked with them for a few years now without problems. They are small packages and they have met my fee and paid promptly. They have some packages that go directly to the borrower and only have one doc to be notarized (Mortgage) and as they are usually close to home I have accepted the $50 for those (in and out in about 15 minutes)

February 6th I did a split signing for them. I went in hospital Presidents Day, and when I came home in March there was a check waiting for me - for ZERO dollars.
I checked with the clerk's office and the mortgage had been recorded - but my notarial certificate was no longer on it. The previous notary in PA,on her certificate, had lined through the two signers names she was not notarizing, and I had put my certificate on for those two signers. The only certificate that was on the document when it was recorded was the PA notary's certificate and the two signers names that I notarized had been added back on to her certificate.
I called NFRES about my check and to let them know about the notary certificate. They said they would take care of sending my check out.
I called them again in April as I still had not received my check, and they said I would receive it in about 10 days.
May 4th they called me to do a signing on May 22nd (this coming Monday) I told them I would do it but I needed paying for the one in February. They transferred me to a Darlene, and I spoke to her and she said she would take care of it. They sent me a confirmation for the signing on the 22nd.
On Tuesday I called again and was told Darlene was out of the office that day but I could leave a voice mail. I did, and she never returned the call. I called again yesterday and was told she was on another line and would I like her to return my call. She never returned it.
I called again this morning, and was able to speak to Darlene.
She had me hold and then said she has taken care of it and they should be sending the check out.
I asked her to reschedule Monday's signing with someone else as I don't want to do any more signings for them until I have the check in hand.

This would have been my first signing since my surgery as I have been turning down others as I am not really up to it yet, but this was close to me and would have only taken a few minutes. But I don't want to work for free!

Reply by MaryP/PA on 5/18/06 9:24am
Msg #120675

are you talking about NREIS?

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 5/18/06 9:37am
Msg #120679

No, NFRES (Navy Federal)

Reply by M LaBelle on 5/21/06 8:23pm
Msg #121367

Hi Sylvia,
I stopped working with them a while ago as I ran into so many problems with them choosing there friends to do the signings instead of others. I also found out if you were not related to someone then they did not call you for signings. I did several hundred for them, never an error. They also started having turn around problems with there schedulers, then I would get a check every other month instead of weekly, then there fees went down and I told my self that my time was worth more than 50 dollars

Reply by JO_PA on 5/18/06 9:25am
Msg #120676

How in the world did the PA notary get away with notarizing for two signers that she did not witness signing? She apparently doesn't know what she is doing and/or has never done a split signing before. Better yet, how could the recorder accept the document?

Reply by MaryP/PA on 5/18/06 9:32am
Msg #120677

That's what I was thinking after reading this. Our recorder's office doesn't always check docs like they should. They recorded a deed a while back that we submitted that had a defective acknowledgement. The title company caught it when I included the deed with the request for the final title policy.

Reply by celeste/ca on 5/18/06 9:34am
Msg #120678

I had only done one with NFRES, and it took months of calling and finally got paid. I did my signing on 10/24/05 and received payment on 12/31/05. I did the job for them because of all the good reviews on this site.

Reply by TnNotary on 5/18/06 11:56am
Msg #120735

Wow, I have done 3 for them this year and I get paid in 2 weeks.

Reply by PA_Notary_II on 5/18/06 9:39am
Msg #120680

Re: Negative experience with NFRES... ME TOO!

Sylvia: I'll go ya one better. Did a HELOC for them on 2/18/06. They paid another notary my fee, and I've been trying to get my check ever since. Many, many calls to Darlene. She said she would pull the mortgage to see who Notarized it and would call me back...NOT ! Talked to Eric a week ago Tues. and he said that it was verified that I Notarized the doc and the check was in process. Told him I would wait another week. No check....called again yesterday and Darlene put me on hold 5 mins....called her again on the other phone while on hold and she said she walked down to the disbursement office and my check was being made out. Asked her when it would be mailed out and she said she couldn't say. I originally was reluctant to take their business for $50.00, but as you said...about 20 pages and always under 10 miles but now I wonder about their lack of concern for their closers. No more service to them until I get my $$ for which I've already earned three times over with my extra effort and phone calls.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 5/18/06 9:42am
Msg #120682

Jo
The PA notary did everything correct - she had lined through the two names she was not notarizing. I did the signing for the two people who were here in FL, attached my notary certificate and sent the docs back to NFRES. Someone at NFRES had to add those two names back on to the PA notary's certificate.

I did call the PA notary and let her know, I said obviously she would only have the one signer in her journal if anything came of this so she could prove she only notarized the one signature. However, she said she is not required to keep a journal.

As for the recorder accepting the document, how would he know that the PA notary didn't notarize all the signatures?

Reply by JO_PA on 5/18/06 9:54am
Msg #120684

Maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but I still don't see how whe can cross out signatures that you notarized.
Also (a direct quote from the Dept of State handbook): Every notary public must keep and maintain custody and control of an accurate chronological register of all official acts. The register must contain the date of the act, the character or type of the notarial act, the date and the parties to the instrument, and the amount of the fee collected. Each notarization performed by the notary must me indicated separetly.
PS-Glad you're back!

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 5/18/06 10:00am
Msg #120685

Jo
First the docs went to PA for the PA notary to do. On the certificate on the docs were three names (there were 3 people to sign the docs, 1 in PA and 2 in FL), on the certificate the PA notary had lined through the two signers who were not there, showing she was only notarizing the one person's signature. Then the docs were sent to the two signers in FL.
I went to do the signing, and I attached my certificate for the 2 signers here and I sent the docs back to NFRES.

When I checked the recorded mortgage, there was only the PA notary's certificate on the docs, and next to where the two signers names had been lined through, someone had typed them in again, so it appears that the PA notary did all the notary work.

Reply by JO_PA on 5/18/06 10:09am
Msg #120686

Got it. I thought it was done in reverse order. Thanks for the clarification. Still kind of makes you wonder how the clerk missed that.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 5/18/06 12:03pm
Msg #120738

Jo
How would the clerk know that there were two notaries involved and that there should have been another notary certificate?

Reply by MaryP/PA on 5/18/06 10:23am
Msg #120692

I see what you are saying. Probably with that extra page you added Sylvia it increased the recording costs. I know our recorder charges $2 per page over 4 pages. They should not have done that. Also, she is SUPPOSED to keep a journal. That is the law in PA.

Reply by dickb/wi on 5/18/06 12:31pm
Msg #120749

just a very good reason to keep a journal...wi doesn't require one either but i have 1 and have been able to prove or disprove my notarizations in the past...thank goodness for my journal..

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 5/18/06 12:34pm
Msg #120751

Florida doesn't require one either, but it good practice to keep one. I can prove those two signers were here in front of me in Florida if NFRES decides to dispute it. I have their ID info and their signatures in my MOJO.