Posted by MonicaFL on 3/15/11 4:50pm
Msg #376248

I figured out and learned something new

I received a call from a Title company to handle a RM. When I told her how far it was from my house, she made the statement, well, I googled it and google says its only 12 miles. Here's what I finally figured out - and learned, She must have been putting in only my zip code and only the zip code to where the closing was to take place. Yes, from my zip code to the other zip code it is only 12 miles. From my house to where the closing was to take place was 27 miles one way! I guess my old age is catching up with me since I didn't figure this out before. Oh well. I have now. P.S. - she went with what I told her since I live here and she doesn't.

Reply by jba/fl on 3/15/11 4:53pm
Msg #376249

We all have that happening with these mapping programs. I keep MapQuest open with my addy already filled in for when someone calls. Then I can tell them exact.

Reply by ikando on 3/15/11 5:04pm
Msg #376254

Even using Mapquest to tell the miles, there is no way to calculate the actual time because the software doesn't take into consideration road closings for construction...a lot of which is happening around here. My time is worth something too, so I price accordingly.

Reply by jba/fl on 3/15/11 5:58pm
Msg #376260

ikando - you are so right!! must stay aware. n/m

Reply by MikeC/NY on 3/15/11 10:19pm
Msg #376299

"When I told her how far it was from my house, she made the statement, well, I googled it and google says its only 12 miles."

Your response should have been "Then get someone from Google to do it, since they seem to know my area better than I do".

I was once asked to do a signing on Shelter Island, which is an island located between the two eastern forks of Long Island here in NY. When I quoted a high fee, I was told "but it's only 15 miles away." Yes it is, as the crow flies. However, I am not a crow and part of that distance is over open water - I would need to take a ferry to get there and back, and I would also need to time it so that I didn't miss the last ferry out and get stuck there until morning.

It made no difference to them - all they could see was the distance from point A to point B. I declined the assignment. Perhaps they got a crow to do it... or a strong swimmer...

Reply by bsylade on 3/16/11 10:15am
Msg #376328

They don't seem to understand the seat time to get to these appointments. I live in a rural area and most places are over 20 mile which is usually a 30 minute trip 2 lane and gravel roads, so an hour road time and an hour with most people, half hour prep time, printing and checking doc's and they want to pay 40.00 I told them wat they could do with their 40. I won't even leave town for that and that does not include doc's.

Reply by Yowheelz on 3/16/11 2:33pm
Msg #376364

I tell them its only 12 miles if you can swim

I get this all the time but the Chesapeake Bay lies between the Eastern Shore and Western Shore. I get calls for the Western Shore and from here it may be only 12 miles if you have a boat or can swim.

Reply by rolomia on 3/17/11 5:23am
Msg #376443

That's not the lowest fee I've ever been offered. A SS whose name I won't mention (they know who they are) in case they're trolls here, once offered me $25 for an e-doc signing over 100 miles away. I laughed at them, told them to put me on their do not call list and hung up the phone. Hopefully, you gave the same treatment to the SS that offered you $40. What are those SS thinking? Or, are they thinking? These days, I worry about SS bad-mouthing good notaries (like myself) to title companies if we don't accept their low-ball offers. Their unscrupulous, in the first place. Is anybody really so naive as to believe that SS wouldn't resort to such poor behavior?