Posted by JAGGWIN on 10/3/12 2:44am
Msg #436932

Deductions of Fees

I find the fee deduction notice offensive. Deducting $15 for being late to an appointment! How about I charge $25 for late delivery of documents that make me late to an appointment. No one wants to be late to an appointment. It is frustrating that signing services want to hijack our fees but never take responsibility for their issues!

Reply by 101livescan on 10/3/12 7:14am
Msg #436938

Unbelievable, huh? How about when you arrive at borrowers' home, the house is so cluttered, there is no where to sit the documents down and the 300 # husband is sitting in his recliner facing the televisiion away from the 2' high pile of magazines, junk mail, newspapers, and 2 qt stale peanut jar with no lid, unbelievable.

Mrs. Borrower, no lightweight herself, manages to move all the crap off the coffee table, I ask, were you expecting me? Drivers licenses were out in the truck.

WTF...can't we get this signing rolling, I had four more appointments, I hoped I didn't take an odor from this house on my clothes for the rest of the evening.

Finally hour and a half later,, I'm outta there. Takes them 10 minutes to find the check book for cash to close.

Honestly, I think it should have been twice the fee for hazardous duty in a home that had so many science projects going on, and I didn't even visit the bathroom or the refir, kitchen, etc.

Just awful. I wanted to ask wifey, so what do you do all day, sweetie?

Reply by bfnotary on 10/3/12 7:51am
Msg #436940

I know what ya mean. Some of those houses are pretty bad. To be honest, I keep body spray in my car, just in case. It doesn't hurt. I never know when I am going to be in a smelly house and I don't want to smell going to other houses. (then I shower when I get home).

Reply by Hew Moon on 10/3/12 2:23pm
Msg #437013

Re: Deductions of Fees or Dirty House

Not sure what story to get in on, I have had so many dirty houses over the years that I have a system in place, if it is one of the very bad ones (IE: get to the closing, no table, so we will sit on the couch, 200 lb dog sleeping on the couch, wife makes it move, it decides pee on the couch, wife happily puts a towel on it and invites me to sit) where I drive home with all my windows down, head sticking out the drivers window to get the germs off, i get home i pull into the garage, drop all clothes in a hamper, run to the shower naked (dog chasing me) then I lay in the hot shower crying for a good hour...

I also find the notice of deductions insulting.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 10/3/12 5:13pm
Msg #437055

ROFLMAO!! Harry, 1 more forum for "Stories from the Field"??

We could start it with old the story from the Arizona notary about the neighbor looking over the fence... It could provide:

* a place to vent and commiserate
* comic relief, when a good laugh is needed to keep going
* comfort, knowing that either we're not alone or someone else has it much worse
* reading entertainment while waiting for docs
* a dose of reality for those considering entering into this field
* a dose of reality for those thinking that $80 (or whatever) for edocs is a good fee

Any other suggestions?

I know these kinds stories have appeared from time to time over the years, but wouldn't it be great to have a collection of them all in one place? Just a thought...

Reply by C. Rivera Chicago Notary Services on 10/3/12 8:23am
Msg #436944

totally agree with you! n/m

Reply by Hart - Marilyn on 10/3/12 8:30am
Msg #436945

Re: totally agree with you!

How about when the kids are climbing all over the table that you are signing on?
I had one where the man came to the door (only signor) had on socks and flip flops, boxer shorts , t shirt and a can of beer in his hand.
I told him call me back when you get some clothes on.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 10/3/12 8:33am
Msg #436947

Re: totally agree with you!

Two separate times I had a Saturday morning appointment and borrowers had their pajamas on. :/

Reply by twil4_WI on 10/3/12 8:50am
Msg #436953

Re: totally agree with you!

One of my favorites lately has been one of the borrowers is late, and you are forced to chit chat with the kids, the dog sniffing you, and the other borrower busy preparing dinner. The other arrives 20 minutes later, does not apologize, and seems irritated he has to go back to the garage and get his drivers license, which they were supposed to make a copy of, and have ready for me to send back with the package. Then there is the search for the checkbook, after I have called with the total and to whom it is to be made out. Grrrr...I now say we will have to speed this along now, as I don't want to cut into my next clients time.
Another recent favorite is all the closings I have at one of the big 5's banks, where the lenders have recently decided to sit in on them; and I try to take control of the signing while the lender is sharing lengthy anticdotes with the borrowers and then decides the borrower should have a copy of the signed documents, when I have made a copy of unsigned, and disappears for 15 minutes to make them, where she apparently must rebuild the printer....

Reply by RonnieB/NC on 10/3/12 9:39am
Msg #436966

Re: totally agree with you!

How about the cat that perched on the table and then took his paw and slide the papers
one by one off the table. When I tried to stop him, he slapped my hand away with his paw. The nerve of him! I yelled out and that's when the owner took him outside on the porch. The whole place stunk from staled cat urine and litter. Phew!

Reply by F2F/FL on 10/3/12 8:45am
Msg #436952

Our thoughts are with you, and many would say that there are probably things you could have done to clear the way so that this wouldn't happen. IMO I would be speaking to someone at the top to get this payment to you as you did your part, and that your actions did not cause you to be late to the appt. This signing company needs to be held to higher professional standards. Good luck.
PS: not sure how this OP went to the subject of the conditions of some peoples homes and how they live. Those conditions have nothing to do with what deductions they make to our checks for services.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 10/3/12 2:17pm
Msg #437010

"Those conditions have nothing to do with what deductions they make to our checks for services."

Probably not for the people writing the checks. However, it seems that they're linked in the minds of many of us. I think the point is that sometimes we're working in situations that might be worthy of hazardous duty pay... We just deal with it, as it's part of the job, and I doubt there's much of a chance we'd get extra fees for it. So it's like adding insult to injury when companies threaten to short fees for any possible infraction, when we're sometimes asked to deal with the impossible to pull off a signing at all. I think it would be great to have a collective blog of some sort where we could catalog some of our "notary nightmare" experiences, so some of those folks could have a better idea of the kinds of stuff we have to deal with on a regular basis. (It would probably be eye-opening for lots of schedulers, too!)

In all fairness to *some* of the companies that do that, though, I think it's sometimes a response to the wannabe loan signers who don't really know what they're doing - or don't care. They can create a different kind of "notary nightmare"... But that doesn't mean I agree with this approach - and I wonder if it has any impact beyond annoying the heck out of the ones who are doing the job right.

Reply by MW/VA on 10/3/12 8:55am
Msg #436956

Yes, it's a ridiculous one-sided arrangement. n/m

Reply by Barb25 on 10/3/12 12:39pm
Msg #436998

Is this like holding back your allowance? This is an excuse

not to pay... Ridiculous. If a SS finds a notary unacceptable they shouldn't use them again. If they are continously late without cause, that is unacceptable..then get rid of them for cause. There is no relationship between cutting fees and making a person more responsible. So as I said this is an excuse not to pay someone. Give me a break.

As bad as when my fee was cut for a bad photcopy of a drivers license. And because a borrower who did NOT have a checking account did NOT complete the required auto payment form. What?

Reply by ikando on 10/3/12 3:37pm
Msg #437037

Re: Is this like holding back your allowance? This is an excuse

I find it unfair that we are expected to take a cut in pay because the signer refuses to complete, or they rescind. We have no control over any of that. The loan officer is supposed to be in control of the paperwork, and in this sense, we are simply the courier, and should be paid the contracted fee regardless of the loan outcome.

Reply by Barb25 on 10/3/12 5:06pm
Msg #437053

Re: Is this like holding back your allowance? This is an excuse

I agree with you... And some SS do pay...

But I will say this (and I don't like it by the way) before you sign up and when you get the "agreement" if they give you the terms of how they pay and when this "discount" (for want of a better term right now) the total fee, you can make a decision if you want to sign on.

It stuff they throw at you later such as deducting $15.00 for lateness, xx for bad photocopy of driver license, whatever else they conjure up. That is outrageous. I added up these miscellaneous fees on a notary check list one time. There were enough items where if you missed things you could essentially have to write them a check. Obviously, I am being facetious. But come on. They should be professionals hiring professionals. End of story. You go get a hair cut. You don't like it. You ask them to fix it or not. You pay for it. You don't go back. Pick another analogy if that doesn't fit. Whatever.

The crazy part is that after this is done these signing services call again... What? If the notary is so bad that you had to fine them why would you use them again? Yup. And why would the notary work for them again? That I don't know.

Just letting out steam. Sorry.

Reply by PublicTipic on 10/3/12 2:46pm
Msg #437023

That is ridiculous. I seldom run late unless there are late docs and then keep the borrower informed that I may be 10-15 min late and they seem appreciative of the call. I've been in this business for years and it seems as though these little signing companies as well as large title companies are really trying to take advantage of signing agents, mores than ever. However, I do work with two main, great title companies.