Posted by Ernest__CT on 8/8/11 1:30pm
Msg #393009

WARNING! Performance Title & Wells Fargo

No docs 1 hour before closing appointment. I called, they'll check.

15 minutes before closing time, still no docs, Loan Officer (from Wells Fargo) calls me from borrowers' home. Wants to know what's up. "No clue" (not in those words), I tell him.

20 minutes after closing time, Performance Title calls. Supposedly Wells Fargo sent the docs and supposedly Performance Title did not receive them. Signing isn't going to happen today.

I told the woman from Performance Title that I expected to be compensated for my time (could not have accepted another appointment that conflicted), she said "No." Her supervisor was very rude, demanded the name of the company for which I could not do the offered signing, told me "That's the way the industry goes. We never pay Notaries for signings that don't happen." She also said that they will not use me for the rescheduled closing! Unbelievable!

I will never again accept a Performance Title closing. I could do nothing but wait for the docs. I had refused another signing, even. We ALL deserve to be paid in this situation. Even the Wells Fargo Loan Officer did not know what was happening, and he was sitting with the borrowers!

Please note that this is Performance Title, not Performance Notary, nor any other company with "Performance" in their name.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 8/8/11 1:35pm
Msg #393010

Performance Title is a great company to work with

and personally, I think that LO was blowing smoke if he claims to not have any idea what's going on - that's his job.

Please don't shoot yourself in the foot and turn your back on this title company. My experience has been they've always been a great company to deal with, pay well, timely, no handholding. I think there was more going on here than meets the eye.

Also, unless agreed to in writing in advance, I've never been paid a cancellation fee....

JMO

Reply by Ernest__CT on 8/8/11 1:38pm
Msg #393013

Re: Performance Title is a great company to work with NOT

In the past they've been decent.

If a signing is cancelled BEFORE the appointment time I suck it up and move on. If a signing is cancelled AFTER the scheduled time I deserve to be paid for my time, AS WE ALL DO.

If someone is not going to pay me then I'm not working for them. Period.

Reply by KSMONotary on 8/8/11 1:52pm
Msg #393021

Re: Performance Title is a great company to work with NOT

Ernest, I see you on here probably more then any other notary bashing companies and warning notaries to not work with them because of one isolated incident involving you.

Do you think notaries are the only people who get on here and read posts? I have been told by several SS and Title companies that they check this site daily to see what is happening in our industry from the agent’s point of view.

Just seems a little counterproductive on your end to be burning bridges and possibly labeling yourself as some one who is not afraid to publicly bash companies because they did not adhere to your standards.

The SS and Title company network is a lot more connected then you may think.

Reply by MW/VA on 8/8/11 1:58pm
Msg #393022

Re: Performance Title is a great company to work with

I'm with you on this one, Linda. Performance is one of my favs. I'll be sorry to see the Wells Fargo RM's go (ending with Sept. 30), but they assure me that there will be other business from them.
I agree that it's a PIA when docs don't get up for a signing, but that's the nature of the biz. The tc is in the same boat that we are, after all.
I will continue to give Performance 5 stars. One signing mishap wouldn't change that for me. :-)

Reply by MichiganAl on 8/8/11 5:07pm
Msg #393065

I don't expect to be paid for a signing that never happened

Not if I never printed and never made a trip. It IS part of the business and I'm perfectly willing to accept that it happens on occasion. Sometimes you sit and wait, sometimes you end up turning down other appointments. If I don't have docs in time I will accept other appointments and still try to work the first one in when it's ready to go. My schedule changes all the time. I wake up and think I have one closing and I end up with four. The next day I wake up and think I have four closings, I end up with one. That's one of the reasons that this job isn't for everyone.

I've just started working with Performance. They met my fee. They called me today at 3:30 for a closing tomorrow at 11. I was available so I accepted. By 4 I had docs. Works for me.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 8/10/11 2:23pm
Msg #393248

Well said, Al! I totally agree! n/m

Reply by Ilene C. Seidel on 8/9/11 6:37am
Msg #393121

Re: Performance Title is a great company to work with

I agree with Linda you screwed yourself. This is one great company and as far as expecting payment for a cancelled closing? If you've been in this industry for a while you would know this is the name of the game! No one pays for cancelled closings when you haven't left your house. Too bad as if business isn't bad enough you've made it worse for yourself.

Reply by LynnNC on 8/8/11 1:48pm
Msg #393020

I know of no company that pays for a cancelled closing

Even if you turned down another closing, that is just how this business can be.

Reply by nunu on 8/8/11 2:24pm
Msg #393028

When I don't receive docs within 1 hour of a closing, I advise ss or title that I am making myself available for other assignments at their scheduled time and in the event docs are eventually received then I will make arrangements for a different signing time for their borrowers. That allows them to either search for another last minute notary or to give me the lattitude.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 8/8/11 2:50pm
Msg #393033

We all hate it when something like that happens, and it's certainly aggravating. However, I agree with those who say that cancellation fees aren't likely to happen. Maybe we could have sold that five years ago, but nearly everyone in every step of the process these days is being squeezed with reduced volume. This type of situation is something that we need to try to factor in to our cost of doing business, suck it up, and move on. (BTW, Ernest knows this I'm sure, but if it isn't obvious enough already, this is another reason to not accept low-ball fees!)

However, if you had printed docs and/or made the trip, then I think some compensation is in order because you would have generated some costs, not only lost out on other business.

Reply by Notarysigner on 8/8/11 3:16pm
Msg #393039

Ernest, there are companies that pay, this

is an email I received last week...it concerned funding. I'll p/m the name so you know I'm telling the truth.

>>>>>>"Hello James,
We pay regardless of funding so a check should've gone out already. Let me check on it.
Thank you"<<<<<<<<

Reply by Bob_Chicago on 8/8/11 3:22pm
Msg #393041

James , if they pay regardless if you print, travel, and/or

you ever lay eyes on the borrower, then that would certainly be unusual.

Reply by Notarysigner on 8/8/11 3:26pm
Msg #393043

of course they would know the issue surrounding

whether you are entitled or not. It isn't like they just send out checks. That would be stupid. LOL
There are three companies I work for like that.

Reply by Karla/WA on 8/8/11 3:27pm
Msg #393044

Re: James , if they pay regardless if you print, travel, and/or

If so, please share with EVERYONE! I'd like to know how I can support them and their efforts.

Reply by Notarysigner on 8/8/11 3:32pm
Msg #393047

I would have to ask him if he want's me to put that

information out there. Poor guy would be bombard with emails and calls.

Reply by Les_CO on 8/8/11 3:29pm
Msg #393045

Re: James , if they pay regardless if you print, travel, and/or

There are many companies that pay if the loan does not fund, and some pay a print fee if you print docs and the appointment cancels. I know of no company that pays if the appointment cancels or is re-scheduled.

Reply by Notarysigner on 8/8/11 3:34pm
Msg #393048

I do and can prove it! full fee! n/m

Reply by Les_CO on 8/8/11 3:38pm
Msg #393049

Re: I do and can prove it! full fee!

Good for you James! I really think we should be paid something for our time, especially EOM when we could perhaps take another assignment.

Reply by Notarysigner on 8/8/11 3:38pm
Msg #393050

chk P/M n/m

Reply by Ernest__CT on 8/8/11 3:39pm
Msg #393052

Second Post: Performance Title. DETAILS, folks!

Please look at the circumstances, folks. I do NOT expect to be paid if the signing is cancelled BEFORE the appointment. If the signing is cancelled AFTER the appointment time, then I deserve to be paid for my time. NOT a print fee, obviously.

It is because some people accept "It's the nature of the business." that we are not getting paid properly. That and newbies and hobbyists undercutting fees. No NSA == No closing.

If it's the nature of the business to get stiffed, go work for SOX and their ilk.

Reply by Ernest__CT on 8/8/11 3:53pm
Msg #393056

And a general P.S.

As has been stated countless times here and elsewhere, whether we get paid or not must not depend on the loan funding. We've done our job (usually flawlessly). Having an interest (financial or otherwise) in the underlying transaction (i.e., the loan funding) makes us ineligible to notarize the signatures!

Also, we're not supposed to be salespeople. If the borrowers choose not to sign after we've presented the docs and explained the Right To Cancel, we cannot talk them into signing. Again, we're state-approved witnesses to signatures without any interest in whether the potential signers do or do not sign.

Reply by Les_CO on 8/8/11 4:02pm
Msg #393059

Re: And a general P.S.

I don’t disagree with your theory (Time is money) it’s just never happened to me. I have had borrower rescind and been paid, and I’ve had loans not fund and been paid, I’ve had borrowers not show and been paid. I have just never been paid for my time waiting for docs and then have the signing either cancel or be rescheduled.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 8/8/11 4:24pm
Msg #393062

You said it yourself best, Ernest...

"whether we get paid or not must not depend on the loan funding. We've done our job (usually flawlessly).

Also, we're not supposed to be salespeople. If the borrowers choose not to sign after we've presented the docs and explained the Right To Cancel, we cannot talk them into signing."

Loan Funding and "after presenting the docs" - you didn't have either...you didn't really do a job...all you did was wait for docs and, unfortunately, something happened and the loan didn't go through. I've been paid if borrowers rescind, and also have been paid when I've printed and/or am on my way to the signing. Never while I'm sitting waiting for docs.

5I'd hesitate to blame Performance Title - something happened there to kill this loan and I don't really believe it was all on Performance...

JMO

Reply by snoopdogMs on 8/8/11 5:12pm
Msg #393067

I had something similar happen on a Wells Fargo

Reverse Mortgage through Performance Title. I was hired to go one county over, but the scheduler was reluctant to pay my fee but did since it was the EOM. She said that in the future I would have to drop my fee, It was a FAIR fee for the drive. There was issues with the borrower as she was 80 something, nearly blind and did not have an ID,and could NOT get one according to the daughter. Daughter was overseeing this deal. I posted about this some while back. This was to possibly involve a POA. Scheduler got a little miffed that I sent an e-mail and said that I would need docs by such and such time in order to be on time for the closing as the time was drawing near. Simple request because of the distance to the closing. I then was notified that it was a no go. I also had given up another possible closing for this time slot as it was the EOM. I checked the other day and the DOT"s had been recorded for this RM. I too, lost the job and was not given the opportunity to go back as they hired someone else. Most companies will call back on a return closing which is only fair since we do carve out a time and hold it the first time.

Reply by BossLadyMD on 8/9/11 11:46am
Msg #393136

Just add a line with your cancellation fee to all

of your confirmations. I do not have a cancellation fee. However, I do expect and have been paid my full fee if the borrower fails to show, the loan does not fund or the borrower rescinds