Posted by laurielnc on 1/28/08 5:41am
Msg #232747

Initial question....

I just received a package from another notary in my state that signed the husband and now I have to sign the wife. The notary didn't have the husband initial any of the the mortgage docs. Only signed the signature page. Should I have the wife initial the deed and hope it passes? Just noticed no initials on note either. I think I'll have her initial anyway. Just some input please.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 1/28/08 5:44am
Msg #232748

Did the docs call for an initial?

Reply by laurielnc on 1/28/08 5:47am
Msg #232749

No, there is are no instructions. No initial lines either.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 1/28/08 5:48am
Msg #232750

If it were me, I would have my signer sign and initial everywhere indicated for her to sign and initial. You cannot worry about what the other notary did or didn't do, and you should not duplicate the other notary's error just so things match, or you will be going back for free to have the wife initial everything, just as the other notary will be doing for the husband.

You could give a head's up to the company that hired you, though.

Reply by laurielnc on 1/28/08 5:49am
Msg #232751

That's what I thought to do. I figure it couldn't hurt. I will let the title company know too.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 1/28/08 5:51am
Msg #232752

Sorry, just read your other post - I was typing while it posted. If there are no initial lines, then no, don't have her initial. And if there are no instructions telling you to get initials on every page, then no initials. I only have them initial if there is a line indicating initials, or if there are instructions saying to initial every page of the package.

Reply by laurielnc on 1/28/08 5:57am
Msg #232753

I thought the note at least always got initialed.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 1/28/08 6:20am
Msg #232754

Laurie, I can't speak for others, but I do not have any doc initialed unless there is a line indicating initials are required, or unless there are instructions to have every page of the package initialed. In your situation, if no initial lines are present and there were no instructions to have every page initialed, then if you have the wife initial when the husband did not, it might cause a problem.

I misunderstood your original post, because I thought there were initial lines on the docs and the first notary did not have the husband initial.

Reply by Julie/MI on 1/28/08 6:21am
Msg #232755

I've been doing thise since 1983, no initialing, even the note, unless there is a line or you are instructed to do so. Don't do it and the other notary was not negligent.

Reply by sue_pa on 1/28/08 7:23am
Msg #232761

I agree with the others and wouldn't have her do it. I also have no idea why you would take it upon yourself to ever have a borrower initial a document that the lender or title company hasn't requested. "Signing agents" need to learn their role in the process and - can't help myself here - this is one more example of people clearly overstepping their bounds by not knowing their job - I don't care what anyone was "taught" - because you can't be "taught" what every lender wants on every occasion and knowing your job - and knowing that you can't know what everyone wants every time is part of knowing. You do what your clients tells you to do - nothing more, nothing less - not what you have learned from "expert signing agents" on the internet or what "expert signing agents" have decided to teach in their courses.

Reply by laurielnc on 1/28/08 7:50am
Msg #232763

I called the title company this morning and she told me not to initial and they would deal with it later, but to keep doing the initialling in the future. It is hard to ask everyone if they want initialling. Why would some deeds need initials and not others? I was trained by a very knowlegeable woman and I haven't had complaints on the initialling. Just confused in this instance.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 1/28/08 7:54am
Msg #232764

"I was trained by a very knowlegeable woman"

Then she trained you wrong. Unless initials are specifically requested then we don't have borrowers initial.

Reply by laurielnc on 1/28/08 8:06am
Msg #232766

That will save me alot of time then. Funny that after hundreds of signings that it has never been a problem.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 1/28/08 8:08am
Msg #232768

It's that 101 st that will get you every time.

Reply by NCLisa on 1/28/08 8:49am
Msg #232780

If there are no lines for initials, then don't have them

initial! You only have docs signed and initialed if the docs call for signatures or initials. The only exception is a note from the TC stating that they want every page in the package initialed. If it were a lender requirement, then there would be initial lines on the document already.

Reply by Sharon Taylor on 1/28/08 9:21am
Msg #232785

no lines for initials = don't initial - companies differ

Every company has it's own rules and requirements for signatures and initials on documents. I have seen many notes that do not require initials on the non-signature pages and many that do. It's entirely up to the preferences of the lender/title company.

Reply by MistarellaFL on 1/28/08 2:27pm
Msg #232839

I agree this is the rule of thumb

however, I just ran into one with Homecoming financial last week where I was calling the TC re: another issue, and asked. I was told to have brw initial every page, although the lender didn't have places for initials.
It's been my experience as of late, to ask that question when I receive the docs.

Reply by Sharon Taylor on 1/28/08 9:27am
Msg #232787

Do your part correctly, let TC deal with the other notary

I've done quite a few split packages where I handled the second half of the signing, and occasionally I'll see errors on the part of the first notary. I just do my part of the closing thoroughly and correctly. It's up to the TC how they handle the first notary's errors and whether they feel the need to have him/her correct those errors. Some are minor and could be taken care of in-house by the TC using the Correction Agreement, but one I did a couple of months ago had some serious errors by the first notary.

Reply by Gary_CA on 1/28/08 11:00am
Msg #232816

A personal quirk... am I too quirky???

I agree with the crowd, I don't initial things that don't have initial lines. And I've seen deeds and notes about half and half both ways, and some packets one of them has initials and not the other.

You sureashell don't wanna put one initial and not the other on a deed, that's just beggin' the recorder not to record it, which would ruin everybody's day...

So my quirk... on the HUD, title companies statement and some versions of the 1003 there are no initial lines... and on the statement and HUD it's common for the whole thing to be on page 1 and just signatures on page 2... Now these have lots of numbers, and numbers that someone might change or someone might later claim were changed... so it has been my habit to have those initialed even without lines.

Can't blame anyone that trained me, don't know why or when I started, I just looked at one one day and thought, "Dang, that oughta be initialed." Been doing it ever since, never a problem...

But that doesn't mean it's right... or that I wouln't have a problem next time out.

Should I keep on or quit it??????

Reply by LynnNC on 1/28/08 11:56am
Msg #232820

Re: A personal quirk... am I too quirky???

I do the same and have the borrower initial all pages of the note, even if there are no lines. That is my record that they have looked at them.

Reply by Charles_Ca on 1/28/08 1:06pm
Msg #232824

I'd guess it depends your concept of UPL and CYA, I

certainly have times when CYA overrides UPL in my book.

Reply by NCLisa on 1/28/08 2:58pm
Msg #232845

I've seen lenders kick back docs that

were initialed when they were not supposed to be and for a million other reasons. There are some very picky lenders out there. I'd not want to be the reason the loan doesn't close on time.

Reply by Phillip/TX on 1/28/08 3:07pm
Msg #232847

Re: I've seen lenders kick back docs

I am with you Lisa, if it does not have a place for the initial or I have instructions that tell me to have every page initialed it wont be happening at any closing that I am doing. We are there at the instruction of the Lender or TC, and if they need/want this, they will ask for it, we are not there to second guess or just use the excuse that well I have always done it in the past.

So unless the line is there or there are instructions to have it done on every page, do not overstep your roll in this transaction and do not have it initialed.