Posted by PegiT_MN on 12/9/12 10:18pm
Msg #445978

I Might Be Snowed In Tomorrow

Yikes!! Not sure what to do here. It's been snowing steadily since last night and we now have a total of 12.5 inches of snow. I have four closings tomorrow. Three of them are very close to my house........so I may be able to get to those. However, one of them is in a town 30 minutes to the east of me on a two lane highway and the weather is saying we are in blizzard conditions in outlying areas.

Are the lenders understanding of bad weather conditions like this? Is the title company going to be upset with me for turning the one back to them? I don't think I have ever run into this situation before. I remember two years ago we got about four inches of snow and I went out and did three closings in it, but they were all very close to my house, and four inches of snow is nothing in Minnesota......12.5 however, that is a different story. I don't feel real comfortable out driving in this.

Reply by Budman on 12/9/12 10:25pm
Msg #445979

Peg, let them be upset if they don't understand, you can't risk driving in those conditions.

Reply by Linda Juenger on 12/9/12 10:33pm
Msg #445980

Peg, Your safety is First Priority. You'll probably find that the main roads will be ok, BUT, its the side streets that are the problem. If, that's a big IF you can even get out of your street, you better be calling each borrower to see if their street, driveway has been plowed and where to park. Get up tomorrow and watch the news, listen to the radio and see what the conditions of the roads are before you even think about venturing out. There will be another day for loans, but not if you can't get there safely. They will just have to understand.

A couple years ago, it started snowing and icing pretty bad here. Before I left my house, my husband's scanner was going crazy with accidents everywhere. My husband was Fire Chief at the time and that particular night, he went in a ditch in his pickup. I heard it on the scanner. I knew right then that I was NOT going anywhere, loan or no loan, it wasn't happening. Another time, I honestly tried to go, but turned around, it was that bad and I'm not a sissy when it comes to driving. Another time, I went about 30 miles and slid completely off the road into a corn field. Sat there a few minutes and drove right on out. Called the borrowers and told them what happened and I was late. They came to me and we sat in my car and closed it.

Reply by PegiT_MN on 12/9/12 10:40pm
Msg #445982

Thank you so much for that Linda. I am watching the weather right now and it doesn't look too good. I will see what tomorrow brings before I think about venturing out. I will make sure I contact all borrowers and see what their neighborhood is like. Thanks again.

Reply by Shan/CA on 12/9/12 11:47pm
Msg #445985

Ms. Peggy, your safety is priority! We can all appreciate your wanting to get your job done, but again, think safety!

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 12/9/12 10:55pm
Msg #445983

Pegi, as everyone else has said...

You are number one in a situation like this! I would not go out in that much snow!

Reply by pan/nd on 12/9/12 11:33pm
Msg #445984

Tell 'em it's too tough to travel...if they don't like it...tough beans....and remind them that a

funeral costs more than what they're paying you.

Reply by Lee/AR on 12/10/12 6:52am
Msg #445990

So does a tow out of a ditch! n/m

Reply by JS_MD on 12/9/12 11:55pm
Msg #445986

How will Carol from Premier Notary fill her $80 closings ??

LOL.

Reply by MW/VA on 12/10/12 8:09am
Msg #445993

I don't know how you deal with those MN winters.

It's been very mild here in S. VA, going to be 70 degrees today! Yay!!!!

Reply by 101livescan on 12/10/12 8:43am
Msg #445994

After 12 years of this crazy biz, I've learned that if I'm too tired, weather is compromising my safety, I'm better off staying put. If I won't get out on the road, then no one else will either. I'm a trooper, but know my limits. It's the Ingalls in me. Not worth it. $100 to stay in a hotel if weather turns bad and I'm too tired to motor home, is cheap. And we don't have snow here like you, but other elements like high winds, heavy rains, and dense fog can be just as dangerous.

The borrowers will just have to wait for better weather conditions.

Reply by snowflake/PA on 12/10/12 9:32am
Msg #446001

Turn back the one farthest from you. Too dangerous. Closing can be rescheduled and I would hope your vendor will understand. I had to turn 2 away same day last week due to strep throat and upper respiratory issues. Hurts to turn work away - but your safety is paramount. Good luck and stay safe out there!

Reply by Donna McDaniel on 12/10/12 10:47am
Msg #446008

No snow here, just snowbirds.

Still, it seems like the population has doubled and it takes twice as long to get anywhere.

Reply by jojo_MN on 12/10/12 10:55am
Msg #446010

The number one rule is be safe. If you don't feel comfortable, don't do it. I have put my life on the line too many times for closings.

In ten years, I only turned back closings twice due to driving conditions, but should have at least a hundred times. People in the warmer areas of the country and without the rolling hills that I have in this part of Minnesota don't understand what we notaries have to go thru to complete our assignments. I can't count the number of times I've done "donuts" in the middle of the highway trying to avoid cars coming at me not realizing they are driving in my lane or driving up/down hills on icy roads without guard rails with drop-offs without a shoulder. I'm going to be making a lot of safer decisions this year. I absolutely LOVE this business most of the time; however, no longer feel I need to put my life on the line for it.

Please be safe today, Pegi.

Reply by ikando on 12/10/12 12:46pm
Msg #446021

Pegi, like others have said, it's really not worth the potential damage to your vehicle, to your body or the stress needed to have papers signed for the fees we get. I have had those situations, like JoJo, that I've gone out and received ONLY the fee I agreed to. No appreciation, not even verbal/written from the hiring party for the jeopardy I put myself in to get the job done for them--one time going back a second day because the signer was worried about the road conditions and left the meeting place before I got there. I, too, have determined that I will put my own safety and sanity first.

Reply by Linda Juenger on 12/10/12 7:59pm
Msg #446073

How did you make out Peg? n/m

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 12/10/12 8:12pm
Msg #446076

LOL Linda!! n/m

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 12/10/12 7:59pm
Msg #446072

Okay Peg, it's report time.. how did your day go today?

Hope it was safe and productive....key word "safe"..

Reply by PegiT_MN on 12/10/12 8:57pm
Msg #446081

Re: Okay Peg, it's report time.. how did your day go today?

You guys are so good to me. It was a good day! I got up very early this morning and I called all the borrowers to let them know what they already knew.....road conditions were poor, my street was not plowed, and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to make it to their home today for their closing. I gave them the option of my trying to find another notary or seeing if their lender would reschedule. Two of the borrowers said they would rather reschedule. The borrower farthest away from me said the schools in her town were open so she felt we should be able to close. I told her that I would not be the notary coming to her today because of the bad road conditions and where I was coming from, but I would do everything I could to get it rescheduled with another notary possibly in her town so she could still close today if it was a possibility. The fourth closing was only four miles from my house and the borrowers and I decided that we would try to get that one done late afternoon even if it meant them coming over to me since they had four wheel drive.

I then called the three title companies involved and I can't believe how totally understanding they all were. The first title company said they did not want any of their notaries out in these conditions and they were contacting the lender to cancel my two closings with them for today. The second title company said that they didn't want me out in it either, and they were going to cancel the closing with the lender. They did decide that since the borower was so insistant about closing today they would see if they could find another notary right there in her town that could close it. And the third title company thanked me for going out to do the signing and that if I got out and the roads were too bad, not to risk it.

The main roads were plowed, but the side streets were horrible. Very snowy and icy. My car was slipping and sliding a little bit. I was able to make it to my signing though and back home safely. I drove really slow for those four miles over and four miles back. I received many telephone calls throughout the day for same day closings with open times all over the Twin Cities area. A lot of other notaries decided to stay home today where it was safe just like me.

Thank you again to all my dear friends here at Notary Rotary for your kind words and your concern for my safety. I'm happy to be home safe and sound tonight and not on those roads.

Stay safe everyone!