Posted by goodgirl on 10/1/08 3:04pm
Msg #266011

Archer Land Title Runaround

Have still not been paid for the RESPA signing I did for Archer on August 13.
Today, I decided to call them, since I was told on Sept. 13 to "give us a couple weeks; behind with August invoices."
Well... I had to track them down on the internet because they do not supply any phone numbers or locations on their current closing confirmations. This doesn't bode well with me when a company really doesn't want you to be able to contact them in any other way than FAX or a very generic e-mail.
First number I called was for Archer. Took some time for someone to answer. I told receptionist I was trying to reach accounting. She ask why. I responded that I was owed money from August and was trying to find out when I would be paid. She told me I needed to speak with Ace (Funding). She gave me another number to call. I called this number, and there was one of the long, involved menu systems where you enter the first four digits of someone's last name, or enter their extension no., etc... Since I had none of that information, I keyed the number that took me to the receptionist for help. I could swear the woman who answered the phone was the same person who answered the other number, but she said that she was not. I again told her why I was calling. She answered that I needed to speak with (so and so) who was the Payroll Manager at Ace. However, "He's not here this afternoon." Big surprise! So, she offered to send me to his voicemail and said he usually gets back to people in a timely manner. I countered with , "But, I'm not an employee of Ace. I am not on Ace's payroll. I did a closing for Archer in August and was never paid." She told me, "Oh, then you need to speak with Archer" and sent me back there. She answers the phone AGAIN, and tells me that their payroll manager (so and so) is there - hold on. I held on for quite sometime, and so and so answers the phone. I explained my dilemma, and she seemed to find it a bit humerous. She told me that they were TRYING THEIR BEST to get everyone paid. (Trying their best...) She said they were behind, and I was "ONLY A MONTH OUT." I said, "Mam, I am more than a month out. I did this signing on August 13. It's now October 1." I ask her what she would do if she was to be paid on a Tuesday, and she received an e-mail that morning from Archer telling her she wouldn't be paid for another month and a half or 2 months. She didn't answer that question, and told me if I was on the HUD I would have been paid immediately, but since I wasn't, I had to wait for my money. I told her that Archer was a TC, and this type of payment process was not normal TC policy, but was SS policy. She was speaking so quietly the whole time, I could barely hear her. She then said something to the effect of, "I don't believe you people." I told her I couldn't hear what she said, and she said, "I just don't believe you notaries; as bad as the financial market is right now, all the lenders and TCs going out of business. At least we are making an effort to get everyone paid." ( I take this to mean there have been other notaries calling and FINALLY getting to speak to someone - her)
I told her that I trusted Archer and accepted this signing in good faith, and now it's going on 2 months and I have still not been paid.
AND NOW COMES THE LATEST AND MOST CURRENT THREAT THAT NOTARIES ARE HEARING FROM ALL THESE LATE PAYING OR NON PAYING COMPANIES: (Big drumroll here........) "Well, if you're not happy with our policies, I would be glad to remove you from our list of notaries and we won't call you anymore."
My response was, "If you feel that's what you want to do, then, by all means, go ahead and do it. I have bills to pay like everyone else, and waiting for almost 2 months to be paid simply isn't right. It's not fair and it's not right."
I ask her when I could expect payment, and said mumbled something about we start on checks on Thursday, and they are mailed out on Monday. She said she would make it a point to get my check taken care of and mailed on Monday, since I was so upset about it.
My thoughts here: They are in financial trouble and don't have the money to pay the notaries, who are doing all the work for them. As usual, the notary is on the bottom of the food chain. We'll pay our management first, our employees (maybe...) second, and then, if there's anything left over, we'll pay those stupid notaries who are out there running around doing all the work.
That makes 4 companies that owe me money now. I'm not naive enough to keep working for the same co that stiffs me over and over, so this is one closing per company.
I don't think this co is a good bet to work for any more.

Reply by Linda Hubbell on 10/1/08 3:09pm
Msg #266012

Great...I have an invoice for them for a Respa I did on 9/13 n/m

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 10/1/08 4:42pm
Msg #266019

When I took the assignment from them I asked about their

payment policies since I don't like waiting until funding for Respa signings - she told me they TRY to pay at 30 days...they WERE doing it weekly but have cut it back to once a month so they try to pay within the 30 days....we can only hope...

Reply by sue_pa on 10/1/08 3:45pm
Msg #266014

Great. I did one two weeks ago - mixed up state of affairs but I got everything signed by the one of the parties - the one who was in my state at the time. I was to go back several days later for the other when they returned to PA but borrowers left me a message prior to that that they were cancelling.

Upside ... Ace is in Pennsylvania ... if you know what I mean !!!

Reply by Becca_FL on 10/1/08 4:29pm
Msg #266017

Great...And I did one for them on 9/12. Will keep all posted n/m

Reply by sue_pa on 10/1/08 5:11pm
Msg #266022

oops

The fiasco I just described wasn't Archer - it was someone else. Had a different fiasco w/an Archer order but that one I know is funding.

Reply by FAN_IL on 10/1/08 5:44pm
Msg #266025

I've had decent experiences w/ Archer, but I can understand your frustration. When I receive emails from them, their phone numbers are listed in their signature lines so I haven't had trouble communicating w/ them.

If you want to get paid on a timely basis, make sure you specify when accepting the closing that your name and fee will show on the HUD, and that you want to be paid when the loan funds. When you receive the HUD, make sure you ARE listed by name w/ the correct fee. If not, have them correct it before you go to the closing. Also when you email to confirm the loan has closed, make sure you state that your invoice is included in the loan package.

If you are not listed on the HUD, you will be dealing w/ two separate business entities: Archer Land Title and Ace Mortgage Funding. There may be some delay in Ace receiving and processing your invoice, and their corporate office only cuts checks at certain times during the month. The corporate office number is 317-275-3945; ask for Nancy in Archer Accounts Payable. You may have to follow up w/ Archer Land Title to make sure she has everything she needs, but once she has the documentation she needs, she does authorize payment.

Reply by Lee/AR on 10/1/08 7:37pm
Msg #266032

Seems kinda SOX-like... with all the hoops you have to go thru in the proper order to get paid.
Shouldn't be all that complicated just to receive earned payment.

Reply by FAN_IL on 10/1/08 8:00pm
Msg #266035

I don't know: I've never done business w/ SOX so I have no grounds for comparison. All I know is that if you're on the HUD, they pay when they fund and that works for me. If you're not, their accounting process is a little byzantine. So my advice is to make sure you're on the HUD.

I've never done a RESPA signing for them, so I don't have any recommendation for safeguarding yourself on those assignments, unfortunately.

Reply by goodgirl on 10/1/08 8:11pm
Msg #266040

That's just the point. RESPA is a "pre loan" thing. It really should not be considered the same HUD situation as an actual closing because it isn't.
In my heart, I know the borrower didn't actually take the loan. The terms were ridiculous and the borrower was smart enough to see this of their own volition. The borrower told me "This is ridiculous. I'm going to call my local bank and see what they can do for me."

Reply by sue_pa on 10/1/08 8:08pm
Msg #266039

It's not that difficult. We bill Archer and get paid. We have no dealing with Ace for payment ... they're the broker. Ace doesn't receive nor process our invoices - no idea where that came from. I've never had a problem w/Archer with payment in the past but we all know how that can change daily. It appears from goodgirl's post something is amiss.

Reply by Becca_FL on 10/1/08 8:30pm
Msg #266048

My experience is the same as Sue's, I've never had a problem getting paid by Archer, but we are in a much different climate these days. EFS had always paid me until they closed their doors owing me $775. Lesson learned.

Reply by Becca_FL on 10/1/08 8:23pm
Msg #266044

If you are listed on the HUD you will be paid out of escrow. If listed on the HUD, Ace would have nothing to do with your payment. Disbursements listed on the HUD must be disbursed according to the HUD at funding.

Reply by FAN_IL on 10/1/08 10:23pm
Msg #266062

Yes, Becca, that, in part, is the point. If you don't make sure you're on the HUD, then you may encounter what happened to goodgirl. There are two separate business entities wh/ are somehow connected. When I did a closing for them where I was not on the HUD, the closisng manager at Archer had to email Nancy in Accounts Payable [e-mail address], and she was the person who ulitmately approved and cut my check.

So my payment was not issued directly by Archer Land Title; it was issued from Ace Mortgage Funding on Archer's behalf.

I'm not that familiar w/ either the title company or the mortgage broker, or what their business relationship is. All I know is that if you're on the HUD, you'll be paid at funding. If you're not, like goodgirl, you'll wind up going back and forth between the two companies until Nancy gets the documentation she needs to authorize payment.

If I were goodgirl, I would deal directly w/ Nancy until I got paid. That's why I gave her Nancy's phone number.

Reply by Dawn/PA on 10/2/08 8:17am
Msg #266075

Re: Archer Land Title Runaround..FAN it wasnt a loan

that goodgirl got signed but rather the pre-loan paperwork (application, good faith, etc) and when doing a RESPA there is no "disbursement" . I cant recall reading or hearing anything about Archer having problems with paying for the RESPA's. I havent done a RESPA for them in months, but in the past they always paid between 2 & 4 weeks. The run around that she is getting for this, indicates that there is some sort of problem - hopefully temporary, but only time will tell.

Reply by Deb_AL on 10/2/08 9:31am
Msg #266079

Re: Archer Land Title Runaround..FAN it wasnt a loan

They also owe me for a RESPA from 8/12. This was my first one from them but payment is quite late.

Reply by FAN_IL on 10/2/08 12:48pm
Msg #266096

Re: Archer Land Title Runaround..FAN it wasnt a loan..I get

that. I understand the difference between a RESPA signing and a loan closing.

I was merely trying to advise her that in the future she should make sure to get her name on the HUD so she will be paid promptly. Archer doesn't seem to be a bad company to work w/ generally, if you safeguard yourself in certain ways. If the RESPA signing goes forward, title companies usually use the same notary to close the loan that took the original application, so my advice was applicable.

I also gave goodgirl Nancy's phone number so that she could follow up on what's currently overdue. Goodgirl seemed to be a little frustrated going back and forth between the two companies so I was just trying to make it a little easier for her. That's all -- just trying to be helpful.