Posted by mtnotary on 8/5/08 6:50pm
Msg #258708

Really interested to know

Did the Lenders First Choice schedulers know in the beginning of July that by calling people they would in the end be harming people?
Or did they just show up to work one day and find the doors locked and now they won't receive their last paycheck either.

On one hand I am mad to know that I was taken advantage of by having to travel long distances for no pay.
On the other hand I am sad for these employees (schedulers) if indeed they didn't know that they would be out of work.

Any ex employees of LFC care to fill us in as to how and when they found out they were unemployed.

Reply by MW/VA on 8/5/08 7:03pm
Msg #258711

I can't speak for the employees, but as I understand it they didn't know anything until that day. Keep in mind that the closing of Mercury Companies affected approx. 6,000 employees, not just notaries. I couldn't say if any of them saw it coming, but I don't think so. Please read through some of the other posts (orange search button). This has been the major discussion since last week. I have been paid everything that was owed to me. This is not a dead-beat situation--they were forced out of business.

Reply by Nancy M. Misenar on 8/5/08 7:12pm
Msg #258713

I think that we all feel the same way, I for one did 2 in July, and may not get paid for my services. With that said, I am sure this is not the last time we will see this kind of thing happen. The people of Mercury Companies and others may go into work to find the doors locked or just after they get there are told they are closing gather your personal effects, and so on and so on.
The rabbit hole runs oh so deep in this crisis, it is as mess indeed, and we are all feeling the effects of it, some worse than others.
Just goes to show you, you never know what a day will bring.....

Reply by desktopfull on 8/5/08 10:43pm
Msg #258745

Wish I could say the same thing.

I did 3 purchases for them in July and was listed on the HUD, I haven't received a dime and those loans funded the same day. No, I don't expect to get paid either. I now have one company that because of the LFC incident is going to start overnighting the docs with my check included in the package. My only cost for this company will be the trip to the borrower and the bank to deposit their check.

Reply by christiSocal on 8/5/08 10:36pm
Msg #258743

I got a call from them the day they closed.

Early afternoon, she was going to call back if they could get my fee ok'd.
Well I wasn't holding my breath, but the lady I spoke to did NOT sound like she knew anything was up.

Reply by Les_CO on 8/6/08 10:23am
Msg #258811

I know some of the schedulers (in Denver) and I can tell you they did NOT know. They were told about noon to not come in the next day.

Reply by Pat on 8/6/08 12:47pm
Msg #258890

During July, I did three Countrywide closings for LFC located in Greenwood Village, CO. These closings included complete FAX back of all documents. I was hoping that if the CO operations were taken over by FNF there was still hope that I may be paid. After looking at the list of CO companies purchased, I can't tell! As slow as business has been, this amounted to a third of my July income, LOST! I got burned by the EFS bankruptsy last year, and now I am really leary.

Does anyone know anything about the Greenwood Village, CO office?

Reply by Les_CO on 8/6/08 10:22pm
Msg #259041

I've got my ear to the ground...Lots of rumor, the Fidelity buy out of CO companies etc....but LFC was CA based.....The ex-LFC people are home, or working somewhere else...sorry.

Reply by Pat on 8/7/08 3:11pm
Msg #259149

Thanks, Les. Appreciate any info I can get.

Reply by Monika LFC on 1/21/09 4:58pm
Msg #275232

I know this is a seriously late response to your question. I am a former LFC employee and to answer your question, No we (schedulers ) or anyone for that matter knew of our abrupt closing. We all came into work, a typical day and at exactly 11:12am on July 30th my boss came walking down the isle of our department hardly able to walk and uddered the words "we are done".

The closing of LFC was devastating to all of us and completely unexpected. All of our families suffered in a million ways. I personally spent the next few weeks driving to a food pantry across town just so I could feed my 2 children. Devastating times I assure you. That isn't even as bad as what happened to others. People lost their homes and had to move in with family, etc. The list goes on.

I understand everyone's frustration as far as not being paid. All LFC and I mean ALL, did not get paid for the entire month of July and as of yet none of us will ever see that money. Jerry Hauffman, owner of Mercury, took all of our money and ran. I have randomly checked this website to check up on the notary's that I do know out there to see how you all are doing. I spoke to several of you several times a day for 4 years and built close work and personal relationships with you. I am trying now to reach all of you because I am now in a position where I will be recruiting new notaries.

Again, for what it is worth, I'm sorry some of you lost anywhere from $80.00 to $300.00 or possibly even more, but LFC is not the bad guy here. There was nothing we could do. We were almost to the point where we could have become our own company and not been owned by mercury. Sadly enough, that did not happen in time I feel that us employees are the ones that were severely affected. There is a mass amount of us that still do not have jobs and for instance a person that I worked with currently works part-time at discount tire and mows lawns on the weekends to try and get by.

This was possibly more information than you needed and even asked for, but I hope it helps clear the air. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Take care all

Reply by Monika LFC on 4/1/09 12:35pm
Msg #283010

did this help anyone understand better?