Posted by Linda_H/FL on 10/16/08 10:45am
Msg #267454

I hate it when they lie..

Had a signing for tomorrow morning scheduled with a TC ...when scheduled I was assured it was a straight refi...no FHA, VA, not a reverse...straight refi - important because of time restrictions and fee quoted....took the job at my straight refi fee...get the docs today - it's a VA loan and very large package...I call to discuss additional fee - they'll get someone else.

I hate it when they lie...

Reply by JulieD/KS on 10/16/08 11:07am
Msg #267457

I agree. I do my level best to ask all the right questions so I can quote an accurate and fair fee...and then to find out the job is much more than I was led to believe. Or, they don't do as they promise (like, get the docs to me within the given deadline) and when I discover I need to renegotiate my fee, they think I'm some kind of hoser.

This is business. What I have to sell is my time and expertise. Use too much of either, it's going to cost more.

Reply by Kathy Fletcher on 10/16/08 11:10am
Msg #267458

For all new customers, I usually ask "How many pages are in the package please". I sometimes point out that if the package is larger than # pages, there will be an additional fee. Maybe this will help you too. Hope it does.

Reply by sue_pa on 10/16/08 11:33am
Msg #267475

I don't go through questions like others appear to do - someone calls and I take the order. I charge enough of a fee and I have enough work that it evens out at the end of the day - type of loan, number of pages, location, number of signers, fax backs, splits, etc.

Reply by CaliNotary on 10/16/08 11:40am
Msg #267481

Same here. The only question I ask is where it's located and if it's edocs. I just accept that some packages are bigger than others.

Reply by davidK/CA on 10/16/08 11:41am
Msg #267482

I think it's a reasonable question to ask each and every time, however, sometimes the answer will be, "We don't know how many pages because we don't have the documents yet." Which leads to the real problem: an NSA shouldn't be asked to setup an appointment until ALL the documents are REALLY waiting for a push of the button from the TC.

That would eliminate a major problem for the NSA (waiting for the documents to magically appear) that wastes time and energy, and possibly (if you are lucky to live where there is still business) permit you to accept another assignment.

Reply by NCsignguy on 10/16/08 3:08pm
Msg #267512

There was once a notary who posted something like this after he received a conformation he would send an email with his stipulations, I have used it in the past most companies are good with it some are not if they are not then maybe I don’t want to work for them

Thanks you for choosing me for your closing

My fee of XXX, includes printing a total of 250 pages, 125 to return to your company 125 for the borrower to keep. .xx per additional page
Witnessing signatures and notarization of documents
Dropping the over night package
Up to 10 pages of fax backs. Over 10 an additional fee of .xx per page
Email or phone confirmation of the closing
This fee will be paid within with 30 days
All documents will arrive 2 hours before closing.
If closing is cancelled an hour or less before closing there is a 25.00 fee plus a printing fee if applicable.
Full payment is expected once I arrive at the closing, if the borrow does not sign or rescinds full payment is due.
In the event I miss a signature or notarization I will go back to the borrower at my cost and have them sign, I will also reduce my fee by half.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact me immediately.

Thank you for your business

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 10/16/08 11:54am
Msg #267486

I don't have the volume you have, Sue

and we're very rural, so I have considerable distance to take into account ... therefore, in addition to location, the type of loan tells me how large this package is going to be and how much I need to print and how much extra time I'm going to need....these are questions I HAVE to ask out here....that's just my situation here in cow country.

Reply by Ilene C. Seidel on 10/16/08 2:16pm
Msg #267503

Re: I don't have the volume you have, Sue

Linda I do the same, ask questions, so the tc feels the fee is reasonable. I don't want to charge someone the same fee for a large package vs a small. It's all part of selling our service.

Reply by LKT/CA on 10/16/08 1:04pm
Msg #267497

I had something similar happen....told me the signing was a simple refi but it was a reverse mortgage and what's worse....I get to the signing and the borrowers were terribly upset....they did a complete signing already (for which I was not aware) and were told they only had to sign a "few pages" and when I presented a full package....they were angry and on the phone with the LO...thank goodness they didn't take it out on me. They did sign but I was annoyed with the company for lying about the type of loan.

So now, even though I'm told "simple refi" I give my fee schedule so they are aware that if the package is something other than what they initially tell me, I will expect to be paid according to my fee schedule.

Reply by Lee/AR on 10/16/08 2:06pm
Msg #267502

With all due respect (& admiration &, yes, awe) to those few

notaries who apparently live in a densely populated area where they rarely, if ever, are asked to travel more than 1/2 hr. one way... Yes, I can see where you can accept the not-so-good along with the 'average' and very good. However, when I try to 'average', it simply does not work! My 'average' would be so high that I'd never get a signing in my own town of 12,000.
Meaning, I must ask the questions & get answers in order to quote a fair fee. Fair to me and fair to the co.
This is not an unreasonable request for many--if not most--of us. There are few businesses I can think of where a good deal of information is NOT needed in order to quote a fee. A housepainter, plumber, printer, lawn-mowing business, auto mechanic, construction, lawyer, accountant...you get the idea.... all need to know what you want done BEFORE they quote a fee. The rest of the businesses just hand you a bill & you're expected to pay it...doctor, taxi cab, gas station, grocery store, etc. We can't do that, so they really DO need to provide enough correct info to enable us to give an accurate, acceptable-to-us quote--which they may accept or not.

Reply by CaliNotary on 10/16/08 4:07pm
Msg #267515

Re: With all due respect (& admiration &, yes, awe) to those few

There's a big difference between a house painter needing to know the square footage of what he'll be painting and a signing agent needing to know whether it's going to be 100 or 140 pages in a loan package.

Besides, the number of pages doesn't tell the whole story. Some Deeds of Trust have 14 pages of initials plus one signature, others have 18 pages with no initials and one signature. Some lenders include 25 pages of instructions that don't need any signatures or review.

Almost without exception, my signings take 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete regardless of the number of pages. And when there are exceptions I'd say it's about 80% taking less than 45 minutes and 20% taking longer than an hour, and both of those are usually no fewer or more than 15 minutes. It's just not worth the hassle to me to ask a zillion questions, and I think the companies that use me regularly like the fact that I can give them a yes or no in 20 seconds.

Reply by Julie/IL on 10/16/08 6:36pm
Msg #267540

I agree w/Cali.

Asking too many questions is frustrating for me and the companies we work for. They call us because if we are available, we'll do it. Thats not to say that if I get a call from a new company and I open the docs and their are 180 pages, not including the bwrs copies, that I call them back and say an additional fee is needed. But that is pretty rare for me to do. I do make exceptions for our "regulars." I may say something like, "My, this is a bigger pkg than I am used to for you guys." And then I let them know that I will let it slide because I like them =). We get tons of repeat business because they don't have to hold our hand through the process. "We have a closing, do you want it?" "Yes we do. Thank you." Simple as that.

Reply by MistarellaFL on 10/17/08 11:32am
Msg #267586

Me, too.

I just need to know what kind of a closing I am going to facilitate, the county of the meeting.
I don't nickel and dime them package size.
FWIW, TC's generally don't know how many pages are in any particular package until the receive it from the lender, and I really don't care if it takes me an additional few minutes to get large packages signed.
Once the "important-to-the-signer" docs are reviewed and signed FIRST, the rest is generally a breeze. I usually don't spend more than a few minutes more with those HUGE FHA packages.