Posted by Gretchen Seagraves on 11/1/07 11:39am
Msg #219233

Notaries Express Signing Agency

I spent 6 hours (3 hours of driving time) yesterday doing two signings for this company and neither signing was completed, due to rate and terms undisclosed to them by the broker. This company advised me that I will not be paid for either one because they won't fund.They won't even pay a trip charge.

Reply by Phillip/TX on 11/1/07 11:45am
Msg #219237

I did a closing for them this morning, the documents were to be sent to me on Tuesday from the CA notary that signed the wife (this was a 2 part signing, that will now turn into a 3 part as that notary must now go back and have wife resign documents, that she did not have her sign, but lined thru), that Notary sent the documents to another city, I drove 2.5 hours to get the documents from the FedEx office last night and then went to the closing this morning for the second half of the signing.

They increased my fee for having to do the driving, and I do have to say that it states on their confirmation, that no fee will be paid if it does not close.

Were very easy to work with, no hand holding, however there were several mistakes made by the CA notary in the documents, not to mention sending the package to the wrong location.

Reply by CJ/Alaska on 11/1/07 2:47pm
Msg #219294

Just me, but if I agreed on the phone to a closing, then got a confirmation that said I would not get paid if the loan didnt fund, (when that was due to Other issues not related to MY work) I would have emailed them back and told them I would not do the order.. Period.
I swear, some of these companies look for ways to Not pay us.
The Notary Service should still get their fee from the lender/broker if the lender or borrower doesnt go thru with the deal..

Reply by CopperheadVA on 11/1/07 4:40pm
Msg #219327

Gotta agree with you, CJ!

I worked for them once, and after reading their confirmation I did e-mail them that I required full payment for no-sign or no-fund. (At the time I did mine, it said they paid half.) They e-mailed back that was fine.

Reply by Svitlana NotariesExpress on 11/7/07 11:06am
Msg #220057

Gretchen,
If the files are re-drawn to correct the mistake, you will get paid a trip fee: I'm not sure who advised you that both of these will not fund. It looks like the mistakes on these files were just mistakes and when they are corrected, you will be paid for the trip that you've made.

Reply by Sharon Robinson on 1/11/08 11:15am
Msg #230220

I would like to reply as I feel this is an unethical business practice and I would hate to see it catch on to other signing companies. I have worked with Steve and Svitlana of Notaries Express (formerly of Vallejo, Ca now in Walnut Creek, CA) and have a contract dating back to 2005.
I performed a signing w/edocs back in Nov. 2007 and when I inquired 45 days after the fact I was told I would not be paid as of this new non-payment policy adopted sometime over the summer of 2007. Svitlana even admitted that they had never made any attempt to inform me either by phone, email or in writing In fact they had simply buried the notice in their confirmation in a way that no one would notice it. I explained that had I been made aware of this new policy I would have declined the signing and taken Notaries Express off my client list.
I feel I need to get the word out to other notaries about this as it's been my experience to be compensated at least 1/2 the agreed fee for non-funding loans and I would hate to see other signing companies adopt this practice. Notaries Express even advertises on it's website www.notariesexpress.com that 'If your loan doesn't fund...NO FEE!' How unethical is that?!
I urge everyone that has been used in this way to go to the Better Business Bureau and report them as I have done. Notaries Express should not be building their business on the backs of hardworking notaries!

Reply by DIANE CROTHER on 1/14/08 12:54am
Msg #230455

I am really surprised that you never noticed that on their signing confirmation. It was not in tiny print and still isn't. I noticed it right away last summer.
I don't really know what you could report to the BBB, since it is clearly disclosed on the confirmation.
Either way, I am grateful for the jobs that I get from them and if one out of twenty does not go through, I'll survive. I would much rather have the pay for the nineteen that do close.
They are always so nice and helpful and I am always glad to work for them.
I realize this policy could leave it open for a Signing Service to be dishonest and tell us loans didn't close, when they did, but this definitely is not Notaries Express. I would have to go check my records, but I am pretty sure that so far, I have been paid for all the jobs I have done for them. Most of their loans must close. Now if they worked for those shady companies that have half of their loans cancel, that might be a bit hard.
By what you say, it seems like this is your first non-payment and you have probably done a few jobs since they started the new policy.
Is it fair to say, that they have been honest in their other payments to you?