Posted by MW/VA on 6/27/11 9:17am
Msg #387806

A new kind of "outsourcing" in our biz. I had a call to do

a signing on Sat. The arrangements that the ss had with it's client is that the signing is conducted by someone over the phone, and the notary is just there to witness & notarize those docs requiring it.
Docs were overnighted to the borrower who was told not to open them. Obviously, the lender or tc has some need to control the signings. Their reasoning, of course, is that there are too many errors with NSA's.
This won't didn't go according to plan. The borrower was actually in the hospital, didn't have access to a phone, had purchased a calling card to make the long distance call, etc. Needless to say, that process is anything but convenient or stress-free for the borrower.
The contact person on the phone was obviously sitting at a computer, with the docs to go over one by one, etc. As I mentioned, it didn't go according to plan, and the co. says it's not going to pay the ss.
What a bizarre situation. It's definitely one of the wierdest I've encountered in this biz. It sounds like a co. looking for excuses not the pay the ss, and I'd be interested to know how much that phone contact person is being paid and what their credentials are.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 6/27/11 9:28am
Msg #387808

Were you asked to sit there while they went over each

and every document or were you allowed to show up to notarize only? If you had to sit through the whole thing I find that an enormous waste of time.

And if the company's not going to pay the SS, where does that leave you?

Reply by JandB on 6/27/11 9:29am
Msg #387809

Do you mind saying what they offered you to do this closing? If you are only being paid to notarize, are you expected to speak up when you watch the borrower sign the RTC in the wrong place, forget to date the TIL, etc. I would think this would be a long, difficult phone conversation.

Reply by MW/VA on 6/27/11 9:35am
Msg #387810

I didn't want to get into too many particulars on this.

I ended up offering to do the signing & did that. They complained to the ss & are not going to pay her. This is not the first problem she's had with this co. & assured me I will be paid (it was a full fee).
The whole thing took longer than if I had handled it from start to finish anyway. I can also understand the cos. position. There are too many incompetent people in this biz, calling themselves NSA's.
The loan was signed & notarized correctly so there's no real excuse not to pay.
As I said, this whole situation is bizarre.

Reply by A S Johnson on 6/27/11 9:35am
Msg #387811


Many of us have had some variation of this.
Our job, in this case, is just to do our job: ID, give an oath if necessary, watch the signing and Notarize the docs when necessary. Unless you interjected your comments in to the phone conservation, the any problems with the signing is on others heads.
Why don't you post the name of the Lender, Title/Escrow co and or SS involved?

Reply by Notarysigner on 6/27/11 9:43am
Msg #387812

Yes, fairly new process. Looks like TC has taken on additional responsibility besides (LO) going over the HUD1. I had one last week like that, I was told to just notarize the Docs presented for $100 bucks. Docs over night to borrower, Docs to be mailed by borrower. The borrowers told me someone went over the Docs with them before I got there. When I offered to check the Docs for them, the reply was no, they're O.K. Notarized the Docs presented and left, 15 minutes. HERE COMES THE FUNNY PART....I got this email the following day.


" Hi there,

I wanted to let you know that this loan won't be closing for a bit. They signed the til the day before the deed of trust was notarized by you & the lender did not like that. The borrowers wont be signing again until next month. Bad news is your payment will be delayed BUT the good news is - I will need your services again. So, please do not think I am not paying you and trash me on the message forum! It's just going to be a bit longer "

Murphy's Law rules.

Reply by jba/fl on 6/27/11 10:26am
Msg #387816

Otherwise, they are paying you when they get paid.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 6/27/11 10:29am
Msg #387817

Question about this...

If you're just showing up to notarize docs then why isn't this being treated like a general notary assignment - per notarization + travel/time fee and cash on the barrelhead at time of signing.

Reply by Julie/MI on 6/27/11 10:37am
Msg #387819

I have not read the other responses, but seems like a good idea to me with so many that are too afraid of the UPL that closings become point and signs by "just notaries".

Reply by A S Johnson on 6/27/11 11:08am
Msg #387824

It's OK with you to wait on your money!!!!! Duhhhhhh!!!!
I just can't go along with not being paid when the problem is not my fault.
The statement NSAs are not doing a correct job is for those NSAs who don't know what they are doing. Their are many experience, aware of what they are doing NSA.
It seems, the people on the phone from the Lender, Title/escrow cos are having problem with the signer(s). They don't know/underdtansd what they are doing: the RTC was sign the day before you notarized the notarized docs (Deed of Trust). The person on the phone did not think about the different dates that would appear if the signer(s) were not specifficly instructed not to sign some docs that need to have the some date as the notarized dcos, ie the Deed of Trust and the RTC.
Again, PLEASE post the lender, Title/Escrow co, SS so the rest of us can be our guard.

Reply by jba/fl on 6/27/11 11:17am
Msg #387825

Agree w/Sid - who is this company? Help protect rest of us. n/m

Reply by KSMONotary on 6/27/11 12:36pm
Msg #387839

I have experienced a similar signing. Out of curiosity was this a Reverse Mortgage?

Reply by MW/VA on 6/27/11 1:50pm
Msg #387854

This was not a RM, but the ss thought it was going to be. n/m

Reply by FGX/NJ on 6/27/11 12:46pm
Msg #387840

Had something similar last week.
Docs sent to borrower and borrower was called by lender at 10 am to sign non Notarized docs.
I set up appt. with bo at 11:30 to do only docs requiring Notarization, which were separate from other docs. Notarized and dropped in drop box. Never looked at other docs. No problems

Reply by BossLadyMD on 6/27/11 12:52pm
Msg #387843

That's absolutely ridiculous, I heard of micro-managing but

this takes the cake. Thanks for the heads up because I wont be doing any of these.

Reply by MW/VA on 6/27/11 1:54pm
Msg #387856

My main point in this post was to give a heads-up that there

are now "virtual closers" out there. That is exactly the function of the person involved--sitting at a computer in another state & going over the loan docs over the phone.
IMO, not a particularly great idea in terms of being impersonal. These borrowers were 68 yrs. old, and I don't think a "virtual closing" impressed them at all. It was stressful.
I'm not going to publish the name of the ss, tc, or lender, because I don't think that's appropriate.

Reply by Claudine Osborne on 6/27/11 9:03pm
Msg #387963

Re: My main point in this post was to give a heads-up that there

I agree Marilyn, The point of this post was to educate us..doesn't matter who the TC, lender etc. was..

Reply by rolomia on 6/28/11 4:05am
Msg #387984

More TC's & SS's trying virtual closings to save money...

In this economy, every cost-cutting measure that even remotely appears to show promise will be tried out by ALL businesses/companies already operating on razor-thin profit margins. A necessary evil to their economic survival, I can hardly blame them. Unfortunately, WE are bearing at least some of the consequences of the new economic realities overtaking our profession. I can only hope that I'm able to stay ahead of both current & future trends by learning/acquiring/developing new skills & improving existing skills, establishing new contacts in various industries, renewing existing contacts, and increasing marketing efforts & budget, etc. all in a hopeful quest to remain productive. But, even more important is the need to remain positive. Prospective clients can usually discern a negative NSA & that CANNOT be good for business. JMHO : )

Reply by MW/VA on 6/28/11 8:18pm
Msg #388083

Hey, it wouldn't be a bad job at all. No paper, toner, gas,

etc.
What raised a "red flag" for me on this one was that the gal was in GA. "60 Minutes" did that piece on the fraud that was taking place in GA where they set up a call-center with lots of people who posed to be someone named a particular name (can't recall right now) who was given a title of VP. I think there's a thread on this somewhere in the archives.

Reply by SouthernOK on 6/29/11 9:50am
Msg #388122

DocX Linda Green n/m