Posted by Pierces Notary Services on 2/24/11 7:53am
Msg #373950

Interesting closing last night

I had a closing where a guy was having his ex-girlfriend sign over her interest to the home they both owned together and he was refinancing. Boy what a closing it was. She was there to sign the deed only and could not get rid of her. For a while there she insisted on seeing a sat piece showing the current mortgage would be satisfied. I got title on the phone and they explained that to her and then she insisted on the new deed not being advertised which they do here in our local paper...called title again. Said to write DO NOT ADVERTISE on the top of the deed. I told her no guarantees that sometimes they slip between the cracks. Then she proceeds to go. I'm blocking her from getting out. Go out to move my car come in and WW III in the house. I almost left. She is insisting that I give her the deed she just signed and that her ex is being a (can't repeat what she said) LOL...I just sat there with them arguing and finally asked can I continue this? She finally left and I told the borrower if she comes back in I'm walking out the door. She didn't. He apologized profusely for her actions and said that's why I am here doing this. He threw me a nice tip when I left for putting up with her. I kept telling him he didn't need to do that and I am being paid for doing this but he kept insisting.

Reply by Julie/MI on 2/24/11 8:32am
Msg #373952

" I told her no guarantees that sometimes they slip between the cracks."

Your statement fueled the fire!

Reply by Pierces Notary Services on 2/24/11 8:34am
Msg #373953

That was just after I told her it was ok to write do not advertise on the deed. I didn't want her coming back at me saying it was my fault that it was advertised and I explained to her I have nothing to do with it. She kept thinking I was recording the deed and time and time I kept telling her that I am not involved in that process.

Reply by BrendaTx on 2/24/11 9:04am
Msg #373954

Agree with Julie.

* I didn't want her coming back at me saying it was my fault that it was advertised and I explained to her I have nothing to do with it. She kept thinking I was recording the deed and time and time I kept telling her that I am not involved in that process.*

Rule #372 - People think and hear what they want to.

Rule #373 - People "come back at" whomever they want to whether they actually have a legal reason to do so or not.

Reply by Pierces Notary Services on 2/24/11 9:08am
Msg #373955

Re: Agree with Julie.

Well I called the signing company I was working for and explained to them and they explained to title what happened in case she does come back later on any of this. I told her I had nothing to do with what happens with the docs. I am just there to witness the signing of the package and notarizing documents and that the documents will be shipped back to the title co. Guess I should have just walked out when she started in on him and me both and kept my mouth shut. She was even yelling at me for being 20 minutes late and that wasn't my fault as I didn't get docs until 6:15 and closing was scheduled for 7:00 and I had to print and drive 45 mins. to get there. Just a bad night overall.

Reply by Julie/MI on 2/24/11 9:13am
Msg #373958

Re: Agree with Julie.

The divorce closings ARE about the worst (I realized they were not married) a lot of emotion and due to the RTC, many that are signing the QCD think I am handing them a check at the time of their signature.
Very tense situations and I appreciate knowing in advance that there could be drama.

For what it's worth, at least in my state, one cannot bar the transaction from being published in the newspaper, however, only Warranty Deeds get published here, not QCD, unless a $$$ is disclosed on deed.
There is also an affidavit that can be filed if seller or buyer does not want the purchase price disclosed on the county level, but the assessor's office always has it, it just slows down the process a bit.

Reply by Pierces Notary Services on 2/24/11 9:29am
Msg #373961

Re: Agree with Julie.

I didn't even know it was this type of situation until I received the package at 6:15 and proceeded to go through it as I was printing. Saw the deed and said ut oh LOL....I called the guy to make sure she would be there as I knew nothing about her before. I thought it was just the borrower I was meeting with. This is my 2nd in 8 years of this type of signing and the first one was smooth. The husband came in and signed the deed and left. This woman was such a drama queen last night complaining about how she has nothing anymore and that she is basically homeless. I felt bad for her but I was just trying to do my job.

Reply by BossLadyMD on 2/24/11 9:38am
Msg #373962

would've been nice if title had given you a heads up

sorry you had to deal with that last night...but all things considered, i think you were honest and handled it pretty well

Reply by Alz on 2/24/11 9:58am
Msg #373964

I'm curious about the monetary tip, as I have had a few

people try to give me money when they felt that I've been inconvenienced. However, I've always refused because I didn't know if it was appropriate and if there were any rules or regulations against this for loan signing. I don’t see an issue when this occurs during general notary appointments. Is there a difference?

Reply by Pierces Notary Services on 2/24/11 9:59am
Msg #373965

Re: I'm curious about the monetary tip, as I have had a few

I seriously could not get him to forget it. I told my boss about it who is an attorney and he said I should have been compensated more for going into a war zone as he put it. He told me I handled everything fine.

Reply by James Dawson on 2/24/11 10:08am
Msg #373967

Re: I'm curious about the monetary tip, as I have had a few

I also refuse tips. I have gotten two gifts, a bottle of wine and another was a jar of honey mustard. I provide the same level of service to everyone, It's my job I feel. My .02

Reply by HrdwrkrVA on 2/24/11 11:26am
Msg #373978

I had a signing a few yrs back where the Mr didn't tell the

Mrs they were refi-ing. She had a thick accent & was yelling at him: WHAT AM I SIGNING??? IT COULD BE SAYING, GO AHEAD & KILL ME!! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME??? ARE YOU ROBBING ME?? Mr was REALLY embarassed and said sheepishly: 'This is embarassing'! Finally I called a timeout and told them both that I was NOT there to witness their marital discord. I said if you need to talk it over - fine. If you don't want to sign - fine. But pls, let's be civil & I have no problem adjourning the closing & having it re-scheduled when they were both on the same page! It would've been funny as a TV sitcom, but I didn't feel like ducking if she decided to kick his A--! She definitely wore the pants!

Reply by Pierces Notary Services on 2/24/11 12:23pm
Msg #373997

Re: I had a signing a few yrs back where the Mr didn't tell the

I did ask the borrower if he would prefer I step out so they could talk privately and he told me not to worry about it.

Reply by Mary Ellen Elmore on 2/24/11 1:28pm
Msg #374029

Re: I'm curious about the monetary tip, as I have had a few

I do not see a difference and have never seen it in the law anywhere.

It is customary and actually considered good manners to tip anyone providing a service--that includes the postman.

I have never been offered a monetary tip but have been given sage (a local variety that is very sweet smelling almost smells like it was crossed with sweet grass), smudge wands, rocks, arrowheads, wampum, tobacco, newspaper clippings, feathers. . . These are all kept in a small olive wood box with cedar shavings.

Reply by MikeC/NY on 2/24/11 4:48pm
Msg #374067

Re: I'm curious about the monetary tip, as I have had a few

"It is customary and actually considered good manners to tip anyone providing a service--that includes the postman."

By law, the postman is not allowed to accept a monetary tip. What happens in practice, of course, may be a totally different thing...

The only time I was offered a tip for a signing was for a huge package, about 100 miles round trip. Docs went to borrower, and he greeted me at the door with something along the lines of "You're not going to believe this."

It was a piggy-back CEMA, with quadruple copies of just about everything. Each stack was about 12" thick, and it took over 90 minutes to get through it all (not counting the break we took so the signers could rest their hands). Really nice people, somehow managed to keep their sense of humor as we worked our way through the mound of paper. When I was leaving, he slipped a bill in my hand and told me to stop and have dinner on the way home.

The tip wasn't necessary because I was well-compensated for the assignment due to the extra mileage and second loan, but the guy insisted that I take it.

Reply by Pierces Notary Services on 2/25/11 7:39am
Msg #374129

Re: I'm curious about the monetary tip, as I have had a few

What do you do when they offer it to you and you refuse and refuse?