Posted by JulieD/KS on 8/10/10 12:53pm
Msg #348349

Cancellation Fees

I was hired last Friday to do a signing for today. I confirmed with the borrower for a 1pm signing. Since docs were going to borrower, I told him I'd call again today to confirm he'd received the docs prior to heading his way.

I called him at 11:50am today and yes, he'd received the docs, but he'd also received a call from someone else saying he was a notary and was heading that way.

I emailed the company that hired me and also called them to see what was up. They didn't know. A couple minutes later, I receive a call from the other notary. He was at the borrower's house but said if I was hired first, I could come do the job. Not knowing what was up (and I still don't) I said he might as well do the signing since he was there already. I asked him who had called him and it was the same gal from the same company that hired me.

This has only happened two or three times in the 8 years I've been a signing agent. I'm going to charge a $25 cancellation fee and the company said they are surprised I am going to do this. Had I not called the borrower again this morning, I would not have known about the other notary and would have driven over there. Had that happened, I'd have charged a Trip Fee of $50.

The company that hired me has a pretty good rating, but they don't seem to have their ducks in a row on this job!

Reply by MW/VA on 8/10/10 12:57pm
Msg #348351

It sounds like the other notary was a true pro, and offered to let you do the signing.
Why didn't you do it? If you let them take it, why would you think you are due a fee?
I agree that is was poor business for the company to assign 2 notaries. I would take that into consideration in taking any more work from them.

Reply by JulieD/KS on 8/10/10 1:04pm
Msg #348354

MW/VA

I let the other guy take the job because HE WAS ALREADY AT THE BORROWER'S HOUSE and also, I didn't know what was going on.

If you really think this guy is a "TRUE PRO" read my update to this story.

Reply by James Dawson on 8/10/10 12:59pm
Msg #348352

You did everything correctly, sorry for your inconvenience (which they probably didn't even say). If you like working for that company maybe you should get that part straight about cancellation fees on their part.
I always tell the borrower I will call them about ten minutes before I arrive just so they know I'm coming and I'll be on time. That's also why I like to also text the borrower. I also think it was a good jester on the other notarys part to offer the job to you. JMO

Reply by JulieD/KS on 8/10/10 1:03pm
Msg #348353

UPDATE TO THIS SAGA!

I just talked to the company and this is a bizarro situation. I am NOT going to charge a cancellation fee after all because this truly was not the company's fault. It wasn't my fault either, but I'm not a chump.

I was actually the second notary hired. The first one couldn't make it...but then, his schedule opened up today and he took it upon himself to go on over to the borrowers house to do the signing without calling the company to let them know. When he found out about me being hired, he got irate and called the company.

He is now refusing to return the company's calls and the company told me he said he is holding the documents hostage until they agree to pay him.

Needless to say, they will not be using him again.

Reply by James Dawson on 8/10/10 1:07pm
Msg #348355

Oh boy...drama, drama good guy one minute, goat the next n/m

Reply by MW/VA on 8/10/10 1:16pm
Msg #348358

WOW--talk about a turnaround. I've heard of a few notaries

that pull those kind of dirty tricks. First of all, how can he? He didn't have a confirmation, did he? Holding the docs is a huge no-no. That is just unbelievable!!!!!

Reply by MW/VA on 8/10/10 1:43pm
Msg #348362

I hope the word gets out about him & he never gets another

job!!!!

Reply by MichiganAl on 8/10/10 1:22pm
Msg #348360

Re: UPDATE TO THIS SAGA!

If this is true, then what a serious jackbag he is. What, he thought when he said he couldn't make it that they wouldn't reschedule the appointment with someone else? Who the heck just decides to show up? I think it was a money grab. His other appointment canceled, he was bummed that he was out the dollars on both closings, so he just beat you to this closing knowing if he got there first he'd end up dong it. Yeah, not such a stand up guy after all.

Reply by Grammyzoom on 8/10/10 1:46pm
Msg #348364

Re: UPDATE TO THIS SAGA!

Unbelievable! Some of the stories we hear about how some people behave is beyond my scope of understanding. It is things like this that make me wonder how people with that level of intelligence and integrity ever got into this line of work in the first place.

And to hold the documents hostage goes so far beyond just getting what he wants. Does he not realize that it is the loan officer, the processors, title officers, assistants, underwriters, and the borrowers, etc. who will lose if this loan goes astray. Sometimes I think there should be a place where companies can also post experiences that they have with notaries much the same as we do in SC.

Reply by JulieD/KS on 8/10/10 2:06pm
Msg #348368

Re: UPDATE TO THIS SAGA!

I can't find the guy's name on any notary forum. Never heard of him before. I agree...what he did was beyond reprehensible. He claims the company called him over the weekend. The company said they weren't even open over the weekend

Reply by taxpro on 8/11/10 8:25pm
Msg #348548

Re: UPDATE TO THIS SAGA!

Yes but they must have called him sometime. How did he get this docs? Or were they overnighted to the Borrowers? Yes he sounds like a jerk, but there there must be more to the story, don't you think? I'd do a little more research before making a judgement.

Reply by Calnotary on 8/10/10 1:18pm
Msg #348359

We should have a policy of 25.00 dollar charge if you cancel me and give it to other notary. That way they will only hire another notary only if they charge less than 25.00 but I have seen SS where they look for another notary if you charge 5 dollars more.

Reply by aanotary on 8/10/10 2:31pm
Msg #348375

The same thing happened to me-

except I drove out there and printed docs too- ! First notary cancelled and then decided to show up for the appointment. I think I got a whopping 40 or $50.00 for my efforts?

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 8/10/10 4:00pm
Msg #348395

The only thing is that some of these SS will tell you that the loan has been canceled when they have really found someone else to do the job for a less than professional fee. I had one company do that to me a few years back several times. I started calling the borrowers after I was told the loan was canceled and found out what was really going on.

For that one company, I told them that I would charge 75% of my original fee for them blocking time they never intended for me to have an appointment if I ever found out that they pulled that again. The 75% cancellation fee was due even if I never printed a single page or even started my car. They would usually call me several days ahead of time to book it with me, then keep shopping and cancel a day before or just a few hours before the appointment. After I had lost out on other signings due to their 'placeholder' appointment I decided I had had enough and thus, the 75% charge was born.

They only called a few more times and I completed the jobs for them. They eventually decided not to take the chance that I would actually charge them and they would be forced to pay two times for the same signing. The only time I received calls from them over the next year or so was when they could not get anyone else. Needless to say, I didn't receive (or accept) many calls from them after the few full pay closings. In fact, I think they may be out of business. {that's my shocked face}

Reply by Glenn Strickler on 8/10/10 6:53pm
Msg #348415

How many out there have actually collected the billed cancellation fee? And then, how many who have collected the fee have been called back by that company?

Reply by CaliNotary on 8/11/10 2:36am
Msg #348460

EXACTLY!

While in theory and in principle things like cancellation fees and drop dead times are a good thing, if I look at the bigger picture all I see are 2 ways for me to start losing business, and it's just not worth it.

Just as most of us don't really want to work for companies who give us a laundry list of rules, I assume the companies that hire us don't want to work with notaries who have a laundry list of rules; it's much easier to just start calling somebody else. Maybe if I were in an area with less competition I'd feel differently, but I'm in Los Angeles. If I turn down a job there are 100 other notaries within a few miles of me that they can call in my place.

While I know I'm good at what I do, I also strongly believe that one of the reasons I get so much repeat business is because the companies that hire me know that I'm easygoing and flexible and that I'll do my best to get the job done, even when things don't go as planned. Yeah, there are times where it's totally frustrating, but I just suck it up. I run my business based on the reality of how the industry is, not the fantasy of how I think it should be.

And that doesn't mean I'll agree to chain myself to the computer waiting for docs. If they don't show up on time I simply call the borrower and tell them I'll call when I have them and we'll take it from there. Sometimes that means it's done an hour later, sometimes it means it's done 5 hours later, sometimes it means it's done the next day, and occasionally it means I end up giving back the signing because I can't squeeze it in and they're not willing to wait until the next day. But no matter what the outcome, I don't stress about it one bit. It is what it is and I accept that.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 8/11/10 4:45am
Msg #348462

Amen, Cali!!

I couldn't agree more. It's all well and good if you have limited competition or you're in an area that's so spread out that the ss doesn't have many options. But I'm in an area like Calinotary. If I try to put too many conditions, etc., etc., they'll just work their way down the list and find someone else, no problem. That doesn't mean I have to be a chump and put up with a lot of nonsense, but it does help to be able to be flexible, adaptable and not freak out when something doesn't work out as planned. Like Calinotary said: it is what it is!

But I *have* given a few back from time to time (not often, thankfully) when the documents were way late and there was no longer any way I could complete the assignment. I'm not going to be turning down work when I'm playing the waiting game for documents that may or may not show up. I've seen way too many times when it turns out that the documents aren't going to arrive that day after all and now they want to schedule for the next day (usually at "prime time"). I can think of two instances in the last several months where, if I did that, I'd have had one completed signing take up a prime time slot on three different nights.

Reply by ReneeK_MI on 8/11/10 6:51am
Msg #348467

Re: EXACTLY! (echo!) n/m

Reply by Bob_Chicago on 8/11/10 8:57am
Msg #348481

Could not have said it better myself!!! n/m