Posted by sue_pa on 1/9/08 8:36am
Msg #229788

"Borrower Complaint"

Received a sign up package from Notary Direct. $50 fees. A deduction of $25 for 'borrower complaint'.

Scenario - borrower: why did he tell me 4% and you've got 8%. notary: don't know, let's call LO. borrower: I was promised $7000 cash back - why are you showing I owe $300? notary: don't know, let's call LO. At this point we can assume borrower is VERY unhappy. ND calls borrower for feedback. Borrower: you sent an idiot that has no idea what they were doing. Cha-ching - $25 deduction.

Reply by Linda Juenger on 1/9/08 8:41am
Msg #229789

Your first mistake was taking a $50 closing. A reputable company would understand and know you do not have answers to those kinds of questions. I too have been told by a borrower that I was an idiot and why in the H*** did they send someone who doesn't know diddly squat. Just went through that a couple weeks ago when I was there 3 times. The borrower was the idiot and Title knew it. JMO

Reply by LisaWI on 1/9/08 8:42am
Msg #229791

Curious, are you going to try to get your $25? If you read the article that Zana just posted, this would, IMO, classify you as an employee??????
Very interesting.

Reply by LisaWI on 1/9/08 8:50am
Msg #229794

I think if these companies want to continuously treat us like employees, we can tell them we would gladly make a call to the IRS to let them know that they can pay the taxes for employee status

Reply by Ilene C. Seidel on 1/9/08 8:53am
Msg #229795

If this is what you actually said to the borrower I can understand why they were unhappy with you. I think you should have been more informative. i.e. I'm sorry the loan package isn't what you expected, your loan officer should have gone over this with you before I arrived.
I'm a contract closing agent and am not involved in the loan process. I would then explain the process which you receive the order and your responsibilty to the borrower. I think you should have been more forthcoming. Most borrowers think we work for the mortgage company and we are in on it.

Reply by SueW/Tn on 1/9/08 9:01am
Msg #229796

Am I the only person here who "gets" Sue's post? n/m

Reply by janCA on 1/9/08 9:12am
Msg #229801

Re: Am I the only person here who "gets" Sue's post?

People, re-read Sue's post. I'm pretty sure Sue does not accept $50 signings. Go get coffee and then come back and read her post!!

Reply by Linda Juenger on 1/9/08 9:17am
Msg #229804

Re: Am I the only person here who "gets" Sue's post?

I did re-read her post. I see now that she said "sign up package", but the actual scenario I take as an actual experience. I am taking it as she accepted the sign up pkg for $50 and they deducted $25 because the borrower complained. If this is not correct, I apologize.

Reply by marsal48 on 1/9/08 9:13am
Msg #229802

Re: Am I the only person here who "gets" Sue's post?

I understand completely. The same thing happened to me recently. The company was late getting the documents to me. I had to call the borrower & explain that I was going to be late because I didn't have the documents yet. The borrower explained that he would only be available for a certain amount of time. By he time the documents arrived, there wasn't time to print the docs & get to the borrower's in time to have enough time to conduct the signing.

As it happened the loan officer was related to the borrower. He is the one that labeled ME an idiot. When in fact, it was his company that was late with the docs. The result was that the borrower was unable to sign on the appointed day and I was denied the opportunity to conduct the signing on the next available day.

Now tell me, who was the idiot?

Reply by MichiganAl on 1/9/08 12:28pm
Msg #229830

Re: Am I the only person here who "gets" Sue's post?

I had a borrower cancel a signing on the last day of the year. She had just return from her doctor's office and was feeling very ill. I spoke to her twice to try to gauge if there was any way that she still might be up for the signing. She flat out told me not to come. I kept in communication with the title company. The next day, the loan officer calls the title company and accuses me of making up the borrower's illness to avoid going to the signing. He tells them that the borrower told him she was not sick. Yep, I took the appointment, printed the docs, had them sitting in my lap, but decided I just didn't feel like making any more money that day so I made up an illness hoping no one would actually talk to the borrower. I did the re-sign the following day. The borrower had found out what had happened and was damn near livid. The l.o. knew full well that she was seriously ill. He'd been dealing with her for six months and knew all about her medical condition and knew that she frequently had really bad days when she couldn't get out of bed for days. But heck, don't let the truth get in the way of blaming the notary when a file doesn't close at month end. Fortunately, the t.c. knows me well enough to know the truth.

Sue, I feel for you. I hate that kind of policy, and at the very least I think it warrants a conversation with the signing agent first to see if there's a reasonable explanation. That just tells me that N.D. has no interest in building a relationship with their notaries.

Reply by MistarellaFL on 1/9/08 11:55am
Msg #229823

I got it right from the start...

but I have been reading Sue's posts for years, and know enough about her to know SHE wasn't describing her own scenario.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 1/10/08 2:56am
Msg #229934

Ditto! n/m

Reply by Lee/AR on 1/9/08 9:07am
Msg #229798

You mean the 'cute trick' for fee deductions?

Reply by LauriecPA on 1/9/08 9:13am
Msg #229803

Re: key words were "sign up package" n/m

Reply by Marlene/USNA on 1/9/08 9:24am
Msg #229805

another key word - "scenario" n/m

Reply by Les_CO on 1/9/08 9:24am
Msg #229806

My response is simple: Never work for a company that’s people know little or nothing about this business, and/or are dishonest enough to use any excuse to cheat the notary. Why not just work for SOX and get paid nothing?

Reply by sue_pa on 1/9/08 9:24am
Msg #229807

Made up Scenario

I was just visualizing how a 'notary mistake' and the 1/2 fee deduction can happen - through no real fault of our own. Borrower has no id and we refuse to notarize - borrower surely isn't going to give glowing reviews when asked.

As for working for $50, I've always said I work for $50 - not often and very limited circumstances but I am in this business to make $$$ and if $50 makes me money on a certain order I'll take it.

Reply by Les_CO on 1/9/08 10:37am
Msg #229813

Re: Made up Scenario

Fictitious scenario or not, my response is the same. Don’t work for cheats or fools, your food will sit better.
I personally know of one major Title Company, that I have worked with for years, that sends out “follow up” letters to each borrower, asking about the entire closing/signing process, including comments about the Notary. If the comments are negative, they don’t try and “short” the notary, just as they don’t send out a “bonus” for favorable comments. If the comments are very negative someone calls the borrower and discusses the signing at length. If the borrower is a wacko, the disregard the comments, if it seems like the notary was truly lacking, they simply don’t use them again.

Reply by SReis on 1/9/08 10:38am
Msg #229814

Notary Direct - GREAT in my book!

I have worked w/them on numerous occasions & they have always met my fee & been great to work with. Quick pay. no hand holding & never a reduction to fee.

Reply by Kathy/ID on 1/9/08 11:17am
Msg #229817

Re: Notary Direct - GREAT in my book!

They called me yesterday but I would not accept $40.00 for a "signup package". I would have to travel 40 miles one way for this. Could not do it. Now if they wanted to do $50.00 and be close to my house I probably would do it. Now I would not do a loan closing for that price though.

Reply by SReis on 1/9/08 11:46am
Msg #229821

Maybe because I am in an atty only state...

but my fee well exceeds $50 & they have never given me an issue w/it.

Reply by Les_CO on 1/9/08 12:35pm
Msg #229832

Re: Maybe because I am in an atty only state...

Maybe?

Reply by sue_pa on 1/9/08 2:53pm
Msg #229848

Re: Maybe because I am in an atty only state...

have you signed their contract? If so, it states ... cancellation after you have travelled to borrower $ 30 no exceptions. You've stated before you will never work for less than full fee.

People, I did not have a borrower complaint. I have never worked for this company. I made up a possible situation where we can be penalized for doing our job - when the borrower isn't happy with something out of our control.

Reply by Linda Juenger on 1/9/08 3:14pm
Msg #229853

So Sorry. I totally misunderstood. My bad. n/m

Reply by CJ on 1/9/08 3:16pm
Msg #229854

So this really didn't even happen?

I was surprised that Notary Direct didn't back you up, since they have always backed me up. Now are you saying you have never worked for them, and this problem didn't happen to you? Why would post this hypothetical? What was the point?

Reply by Les_CO on 1/9/08 3:28pm
Msg #229856

Re: So this really didn't even happen?

She can speak for herself. Although I disagree with her “example” ( she should not have stated a particular company’s name without direct experience) I believe what she is trying to get across is that she wouldn’t work for someone that would/could use a disgruntled borrowers (supposed) complaint to reduce the notaries agreed upon fee. She may owe Notary Direct an apology.

Reply by Marlene/USNA on 1/9/08 3:36pm
Msg #229859

She said it was a SCENARIO. . .

. . .an imagined or projected sequence of events, according to dictionary.com

Reply by SueW/Tn on 1/9/08 3:35pm
Msg #229858

Sometimes this forum needs a reality check

I am cracking up here, google lists at least 13+ companies using the same name, Notary Direct. And since when is it mandatory to use a header for a hypothethical situation? This entire thread proves the point, you're at the mercy of a hiring entity, ANY HIRING ENTITY, that suddenly decides by virtue of a low income month that you HAVEN'T done your job.

Reply by Les_CO on 1/9/08 4:26pm
Msg #229870

Re: Sometimes this forum needs a reality check

By first reading the post I assumed she meant “Notary Direct” whoever that may be. Perhaps it would have been clearer if she had simply said “Received a loan package from a hypothetical signing company”…….
There are many welcomed posts here about companies to steer clear of….and if someone “names” a specific company is it odd that we assume that they mean that company?

And……

You’re only at the mercy of the hiring entity if you choose to work for them. If they state their guidelines clearly, in front, and you choose to work for them you’ve got no reason to complain. As I said don’t work for cheats, or fools

Reply by SReis on 1/9/08 4:26pm
Msg #229871

Actually...

I said I would never accept anything less than FULL fee for a rescinded loan. Although I prefer full fee for no-signs, I have accepted less (esp. in current times). And NO I have never signed their contract, nor have I been asked.

Reply by sue_pa on 1/9/08 4:34pm
Msg #229873

So Sorry

for all this confusion.

1. The company really is named Notary Direct.
2. They sent me a sign up package.
3. Their $25 deduction for 'borrower complaint' is in their contract. I just thought that was the most loosey goosey form of deduction I had ever heard of.
4. I have never worked for them.
5. My 'scenario' was just my thought as to how the fee could be reduced by 1/2 through no fault of ours and if sign the contract with that clause in it you're basically without a paddle.

Reply by CJ on 1/9/08 5:56pm
Msg #229881

Re: So Sorry

I think it would be good to ask Notary Direct what sort of scenario might trigger the $25 cut. I have had borrowers complain about me before for "not knowing" why the loan is the way it is. So far, every time, the SS has stood by me, because they KNOW that is not the job of the notary.

I remember one time the borrower (a woman) leaned over to me and practically crawled across the table, shaking her finger in my face like the Wicked Witch of the West, and screeching, "How DARE they send a MERE NOTARY!" She was furious that I could not answer LO-type questions after hours.

She did not sign, but I was sent back the next day, and she was super sweet and all smiles, and signed everything. (And of course, she didn't apologize; she just acted like it never happened.)

Reply by KSNotary on 1/10/08 1:11am
Msg #229926

Re: So Sorry

You have NOTHING to be sorry for. If companies like NOTARY DIRECT state in a sign-up package or on a confirmation that there would or could be a deduction for "borrower complaint".. then your scenario fit the bill.

Oh and those of you who will work for them PLEASE take all the ND business you can... unless you make a mistake, then they're $15 and $35 closings!

Reply by desktopfull on 1/10/08 1:31am
Msg #229928

Did you not see that it has already been stated that

Notary Direct doesn't have that in their sign up package, that the company name was just used as an example it's not real. This is why you don't use a real company's name when presenting a negative hypothetical situation, people actually believe the company is really doing what you have hypothetically described. Notary Direct is not deducting fees over borrower complaints, the whole thing was a put on by the original poster. They admitted that they have never had any experience with this company or even signed up with them.

Reply by sue_pa on 1/10/08 7:22am
Msg #229942

Mercy, I'm finished after this one.

IT IS NOTARY DIRECT. THAT IS THE REAL NAME. IT REALLY IS IN THEIR CONTRACT !!!!! (at least the one they sent to me). You are right that I don't have any experience with them and haven't doctored up and sent in the contract yet but it's there in black & white.

As to what situations they might actually deduct for borrower complaints, we all certainly hope a company would back us up in the very basic situations I described but anyone who has been in this business any length of time knows that certain borrowers see and hear what they want and it's not always based on reality. 'Perception' of our duties and actions by borrowers aren't always going to be an accurate gauge of our job skills.

Reply by sue_pa on 1/10/08 7:28am
Msg #229944

except this

if a perfectly executed loan package is returned and the loan funds timely, the notary should be paid their whopping $50. If they choose not to use the notary in the future due to 'borrower complaints' that's their perrogative.

Reply by Marlene/USNA on 1/10/08 7:58am
Msg #229946

You get the award, Sue. . .

. . .for the most misunderstood post in a month of Sundays.

Reply by desktopfull on 1/10/08 1:59am
Msg #229930

Re: So Sorry

I didn't see this response before I posted below, I was using the linear view for the posts. But I do work for a Notary Direct and they don't have any of those things in their contract. So it must be a totally different company than the one you are talking about. Sorry about the confusion.