Posted by JAM/CA on 10/19/11 1:20pm
Msg #400963

Waiting time on confirmed appointment

So, the scenario is, signing last evening at 6:30 p.m., husband is there and the wife shows up 35 minutes later. No apologies and proceeds to eat a sandwich. This is at the loan officers company. Can't really leave, because the husband was there on time and so is the LO. The HUD says $350 for the Notary fee, which is what the borrower is looking at. This woman was extremely rude and inconsiderate and proceeds to read every word of 13 pages of the escrow instructions. I am coming up on 8 years as a loan signer and I begin to wonder how much we must endure. This one almost put me over the top. I would have sacrificed the $xxx to tell her what I thought. "Patience" is my middle name, but come on.

What is the general consensus on waiting time for a borrower to show?

Reply by HisHughness on 10/19/11 1:29pm
Msg #400965

Thirty minutes, unless the B has called and said I'll be there at X o'clock and I consented. The wait time is not what would have pushed me out the door, it's the having lunch if that further delayed the signing.

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 10/19/11 1:35pm
Msg #400966

I feel your pain

What a nightmare! I've been doing this 8 years, too, and sometimes I think this is the straw that breaks my back ... but here's the deal: There is no consensus as far as I know. It's just what you can endure. I know some notaries will stick it out for 30 minutes, others pull the plug at 20 minutes. It depends on if you've got another signing to get to....and yes, you can leave even if everybody else was there on time. I don't see what difference that makes. Last week, I sat at a signing for I don't know how long - AGES - while this idiot borrower read every word of a 9 page document - I noticed she couldn't read very well, I noticed her husband, who was prodding her along, had absolutely no influence over her and in fact made her even more stubborn, so I let it go. I've been at other signings where they start that nonsense and I let them know it's not going to happen. It just depends on your circumstances. I sat at one signing where the husband was an easy 30 minutes late (he had forgot but was very apologetic) but the wife kept feeding me chocolate cake. Good enuff for me! I've been at others where I tell them they have to resked, chocolate cake or not.

We've all been there, done that. It just seems we have to take them one at a time. One good thing about bozos like your signer is that while she was reading every word of 13 pages of escrow instructions, we have plenty of time to formulate exactly what we're going to say and scope out all the exits so we can make a smooth and orderly transition outta there.

Reply by JAM/CA on 10/19/11 1:37pm
Msg #400967

GG, Chocolate would have helped Thanks :) n/m

Reply by Notarysigner on 10/19/11 1:47pm
Msg #400971

For me, if borrower is not there on time and no one called to say they are running late (remember you confirmed the time with them) I call the TC/SS and ask what they would like me to do. The reason is to let them know I will wait 15 mins (free) then there will be an additional charge if they want me to wait.

If they can't tell me what they want, I leave and expect to be compensated for at least the print fee and travel time. There is NO excuse for being late. IMO

Reply by kcg on 10/19/11 3:01pm
Msg #400985

During a brutal heat wave this past summer, I arrived at the appointed time, the BO was not home yet.....her brother (not signing) told me she would be 15 mins late. A/C was not working too well. I set up at the table to wait - brother seemed uncomfortable and kept pacing. BO called and said she'd be yet another 15 mins late. I got on the phone with her and told her I'd meet her at McD's right off her expressway exit. Packed up and drove over to McD's...their a/c was totally out. I sat down and watched bank sign across the street flash temperature - 105. It had to be at least that in McD's. After another 20 mins, I called her, she said she was almost there. Waited another 15 mins and called the t/c, I left a VM and told him if she wasn't there in 5 mins I was leaving. He called back and said if I would wait he would pay an additional $50. So I waited. She finally pulled and I found out her relief didn't show up at work and that delayed her. She couldn't believe how hot it was in there and said she was sticking to the table...I said "ma'am, my underwear is stuck to me, I'm stuck to my chair and I have sweat running down my back. Let's sign". She wasn't concerned about reading anything, we got through in record time, I blasted the a/c in my car all the way home and still have to peel my clothes off when I got home. T/C sent my check with the additional $50. Would I do it again? For the extra pay, sure..if no additional compensation then no, I would have left.

Reply by LKT/CA on 10/19/11 6:16pm
Msg #401005

I usually wait about 25 minutes total - I start making phone calls after 15 minutes. One suggestion is during the confirmation call, ask the borrowers if they've had an opportunity to review their loan documents. If they say NO, then inform them that they have the opportunity <before the loan signing> to review their loan package and the meeting with you is for the SIGNING of those docs.

Reply by rolomia on 10/22/11 3:14am
Msg #401290

If Lender's authorized TC's to bill BO's additional hourly fees for Notary's waiting times, that nonsense would stop, pronto! One SS I worked for called me during a closing they assigned to me to ask how the signing was proceeding? When I explained that the BO was reading every page fully before signing, said SS scheduler asked me to put the call on speakerphone: when I did so, SS scheduler spoke very loudly so that BO would hear her. She stated that they only allot so much time for the signing. If I exceeded that time, SS has authorization to bill lender for the additional time. And, it is in lender's written policies with BO that BO would be picking up the tab for the additional time. After that call, the BO suddenly sped up the signing. Funny how that worked...Too bad they can't all be like that. : (