Posted by bowie_MD on 8/7/10 4:34pm
Msg #348107

notarydirect

I read the posts that were out there. But nothing like my experience.
Took a purchase deal to be at real estate office at 2pm. I was to contact the buyers agent to confirm and I did. Did not get docs until 4pm. There were some errors and TC said go ahead to closing and she will email the new docs to the real estate office. And I was to call her when I got to the office. I got there at 5 and borrower and agent did not arrive until 6pm.
We called the TC and got voicemail. Left messages and agent left message on TC reps cell phone voice which she had.
While waiting we were looking at the HUD. It was wrong. Not updated to what borrower and agent had been told.
I called contact at Notary Direct and explained. She tried to call TC. She agreed I should wait 15 more minutes, until 6:30 and if no call back leave.
Which we did.
The next day TC points out that on the 3rd page of their email, at the bottom, in small print it gave a number to call after hours. I missed it.
So the SS, Notary Direct who hired me did not know about this special number and told me to leave.
So am I the only one to blame here?
They think so and refuse to pay me anything for a trip fee or printing docs.
I feel abused.
What do you think?

Reply by Stamper_WI on 8/7/10 5:01pm
Msg #348109

I normally don't work for them because they don't meet my fees. They called me the other day and told me I had been requested for this one. It was Wells Fargo Financial who has given me a lot of business and is closing their doors in a few weeks. I have a sense of loyalty to Wells Fargo Financial and the people in theat office. I really like that bunch of LO's And am saddened to see them split up and go their separate ways. So I agreed to a slight reduction in my fee. They told me they weren't even getting what my normal fee was. Historically, FASS called me, Now RELS is the TC for the final days of WFF.
I would think that since Notary Direct was actively invoved in helping you cure the problem and if the email with the number was forwarded through them. They should have seen it too and pointed it out to you.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 8/7/10 5:24pm
Msg #348110

Sounds like you did more and waited around longer than many would have. After hours number in small print, on page three??? And Notary Direct does not have this number handy for their regular client??? I agree - you were abused!

Be sure to rate them in SC.

Reply by desktopfull on 8/7/10 5:35pm
Msg #348111

Aren't we supposed to read everything including the small print on our instructions? I make it a habit to read everything twice and highlight the important parts, saves a lot of hassels in the end.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 8/7/10 5:57pm
Msg #348114

Yes, I hi-lite things in the instructions too, but these companies need to not bury things in small print on multiple pages. IMHO, that's exactly how things DO get missed. And who knows if the email from the TC even had instructions on it? Often times, I just bring the confirmation with me. I don't usually print out all the emails I received and bring them with me - if there are obvious phone numbers or instructions on them, then yes I'll print and bring. But Bowie_MD was not clear if that was the case with this TC email.

Original appt was for 2 PM. Docs received at 4 PM, so I'm sure it was rush, rush, rush for Bowie_MD. And Bowie DID call hiring party, Notary Direct. Isn't Notary Direct copied on all emails form TC? If, not, Notary Direct should require that from their clients. In any case, Notary Direct did not have the after hours number for it's own client. To me, this sounds like another case of the notary being made the scape goat.

Reply by MikeC/NY on 8/7/10 6:43pm
Msg #348116

The only reason to bury things in small print on the 3rd page of the instructions is that they really don't want you to see it. Think about it - if they wanted you to have that information, wouldn't it be more visible?

That being said, instructions are meant to be read. That includes the fine print. I don't mean this in a snarky way, but how did you miss that? Did you stop reading at page 2?

Whether your contact at Notary Direct thoroughly went through the instructions is kind of immaterial, because ultimately it's your responsibility - you're the one doing the job, they shouldn't have to spoon-feed you instructions that are right there in front of you. It's the reverse of the complaints we've seen recently about "hand-holding" - as a professional, it's your job to be aware of this stuff without having to call the mother ship for instructions....

My personal opinion - and again, I'm not trying to be nasty - is that you fumbled the ball on this one. It happens - SAs get so comfortable with what they're doing that they assume they've got it all covered, and they don't bother to fully read the instructions. Were you abused? I don't think so, although I agree the fine print made it more difficult for you. But whose responsibility was it to read that - yours, or the scheduler's?

Reply by JulieD/KS on 8/7/10 8:41pm
Msg #348122

I'd have bailed on this fiasco when the docs hadn't arrived by 11am. I just don't let companies dangle me like that (and I spell it out upfront in my email to them after I receive a confirmation). Now, you've spent the good part of a day on this mess....and they don't want to pay you a dime. I think it was THEIR obligation to get you viable docs. Everyone had YOUR number; why wasn't anyone calling you? Did they not want the docs signed?

Several people are saying it's your fault for not seeing the TC phone number buried in small print on page 3. To me, it's a moot point. 2pm signing...and there are no correct docs by 6pm? Where in la-la land was this title company?

Bill Notary Direct for full fee. If they don't pay, take them to collections. You tried to your job but the title company failed to come through. Let me know if you need an excellent collection letter.

Reply by HrdwrkrVA on 8/7/10 9:43pm
Msg #348128

Abused. 30 min wait is the max - all downhill from there n/m

Reply by LKT/CA on 8/7/10 10:00pm
Msg #348130

<<<<Took a purchase deal to be at real estate office at 2pm.......Did not get docs until 4pm.......I got there at 5 and borrower and agent did not arrive until 6pm.....We called the TC and got voicemail. Left messages and agent left message on TC reps cell phone voice which she had.>>>>

This is a good reason to have a drop dead time to have edocs in the inbox and if not, move this appointment to the end of the line. Wonder how many other jobs you bypassed or personal events you postponed for this signing.....and for what? NOTHING!!!

<<<The next day TC points out that on the 3rd page of their email, at the bottom, in small print it gave a number to call after hours.>>>

I'd test them.....call the number on your cell so you have a record - call "after hours" just to see if someone will respond. This will tell you if they would have responded on the day of your signing. I've been given "after hours" numbers only to get voicemail. I'd certainly bill ND for a print and trip fee.

Reply by ReneeK_MI on 8/8/10 6:28am
Msg #348145

Strike 1 for notarydirect, but Strike 2 for you ...

Almost always in these scenario explanations, I'm left wanting more details - including this one. I often feel like there's deciding factors missing ...

"...There were some errors and TC said go ahead to closing and she will email the new docs to the real estate office. And I was to call her when I got to the office. I got there at 5 and borrower and agent did not arrive until 6pm. We called the TC and got voicemail. Left messages and agent left message on TC reps cell phone voice which she had."

Details I wish I had - you say "there were some errors" - WHAT errors? Was it just the HUD that had an error (& how did YOU know there were errors on something, did TC know & tell you?) Did you have a full pkg with you (with the elusive errors), or were you told an entire new pkg was going to be sent to the RE office?

You were told to call when you got there (at 5:00), but you didn't call then - you waited another hour before you called. Why were you to call, were you waiting to receive a corrected HUD (again, don't know what those errors were) or a whole new pkg? You sat an hour w/out contact with anyone?

"...While waiting we were looking at the HUD. It was wrong. Not updated to what borrower and agent had been told. I called contact at Notary Direct and explained. She tried to call TC. She agreed I should wait 15 more minutes, until 6:30 and if no call back leave. Which we did..."

Again ...I wish I knew details. Was this the HUD sent in the original pkg, so ...did you have the entire pkg with you? Or (sounds like maybe) was an updated HUD sent, was this the 'corrected' doc you'd been looking for, but it still wasn't what RE Agent/buyer had expected? If so, it possibly WAS a correct HUD, possibly the RE Agent/buyer were wrong. W/o details, I'm left to assumption - IF you had a complete pkg AND it had errors you knew about, what were they and why couldn't you get this signed, (possibly with corrections hand-written) and leave them to iron out the HUD after-the-fact? It's all in the missing details. Was this possibly a short-sale - notorious for HUD issues that can drag on even AFTER settlement, often closing 'in escrow'?

"...The next day TC points out that on the 3rd page of their email, at the bottom, in small print it gave a number to call after hours. I missed it..."

Too many details missing for me to figure out exactly what happened - but the bottom line, regardless of the details, is that you clearly missed a crucial thing (the contact number) and the SS also clearly missed a crucial thing (the contact number), and as they say - two wrongs don't make a right. Without the details it's impossible to decipher, but good possibility this was 'more' your fault than it appears, BUT ...SS advised you to leave.

Sounds like you need to make a business decision here - dust off and absorb the experience, learn from it, and hopefully salvage the client relationship or; demand the fee based on their mistakes w/out regard to your own, and probably lose the relationship.

Reply by Les_CO on 8/8/10 11:15am
Msg #348160

Bottom line…You were hired by the SS. You were in contact with the SS. You were told to wait until a certain time and then leave by the SS. You should therefore be paid your FULL agreed upon FEE by the SS.

Reply by bowie_MD on 8/8/10 6:01pm
Msg #348177

thank you all for your input.
some wanted more details. i chose not to bore everyone with a 2 page post.
thank you Les for putting it so succinctly.
I am going to suggest the SS read these posts when I send them a collection letter
Mike