Posted by Jim/AL on 10/1/12 1:00pm
Msg #436640

Scenario...oopos

Agreed to $xxx for a closing 83 miles from home. Received docs, only 38 pages so I looked through and knew it looked incomplete. Notified the SS and lender that the docs looked very incomplete...SS also followed up and stated only 38 pages did not look right. Lender responds that it is okay.

Complete closing and respond to lender and SS that their was not a note or mortgage included and NSA has never seen a refi closing without one!

Lender responds, oh sorry here is the whole package now. Notary has traveled 30 miles back towards home when new docs are received. NSA calls SS and explains that he can print in car but needs to charge $xx for return trip and SS never says yes but has an urgent call from another notary, click.

Invoiced for additional and of course SS says they never agreed.

Should I hold out for additional? what to do?

Reply by John Tennant on 10/1/12 1:06pm
Msg #436641

Would you please name the company. n/m

Reply by Jim/AL on 10/1/12 1:12pm
Msg #436644

Not relevant John! n/m

Reply by Stephanie Santiago on 10/1/12 1:42pm
Msg #436653

I agree - not relavent. n/m

Reply by Lee/AR on 10/1/12 6:00pm
Msg #436693

Disagree... it's very relevant

You have a signing agent with a problem and they hang up on him to take another call?
And never get back to him. He's in a quandry...he'd already told them it 'didn't look right', but they let him go with an incomplete package.... Then later discover that he was right and now want him to return. And, imho, just wanted to avoid having a 'fee increase' discussion, so left him hanging and hoped he'd be a good, responsible notary who would do the job while hoping they'd be fair and compensate him for "not his error"...but they didn't. Because they hung up on him. Yeah, it is relevant.

Reply by PegiT_MN on 10/1/12 1:34pm
Msg #436650

Yes Jim, definitely hold out for additional. Poor planning on their part does not constitute an emergency or extra non-paid work on your part. You brought it to their attention and they chose not to address the mistake and fix it when they had the opportunity. I would definitely hold firm for the extra pay. Good luck to you Jim.

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 10/1/12 2:23pm
Msg #436660

No, do it for free. Why'd you even ask? This sounds like a great SS to work for; surely you don't want to jeopardize any possible future work from them over a little incident like this! You have so much to look forward to: lies, cheating, total disregard for you as a businessman/professional. Just think, you can continue to call attention to the lender's incompetence, have them blow you off and then cover their mistakes with your time and money. No, let it go, let them continue to walk all over you; you got a great future ahead with these guys.

<<what to do?>> Are you kidding?

Reply by Jim/AL on 10/1/12 3:45pm
Msg #436667

4.5 stars in notrot...did not expect problem. n/m

Reply by JanetK_CA on 10/1/12 4:12pm
Msg #436670

Re: 4.5 stars in notrot...did not expect problem.

Just goes to show that you can never tell about ratings. I can think of at least two different ss that are rated very highly and are fine to work for unless or until there's an issue like this. Then they throw you under the bus in a New York minute. The attitude seems to be that we should feel privileged to work for them, but there's very little appreciation flowing back. We're expected to be so grateful that we'll just suck it up if there's ever an issue. BTW, they're not the best paying ones, either. They're not lowballers, but they pay just well enough to get past many people's minimum threshold.

Those types of companies make me appreciate even more the ones who are fair and willing to support us when someone else messes up. And the latter tend to pay better, too! (I hope you all know who you are! )

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 10/1/12 4:22pm
Msg #436672

Amen, Janet!

(I think I say - or at least think - this to all your posts!

In any case, Jim, I did not mean to imply that this was in any your fault. (Except, maybe in the future to get a definitive, in writing OK for a second trip instead of assuming that the SS will play fair). What will be your fault is if you continue to work for them. Which is why it would be nice to alert people as to who they are so we, too, can avoid them - at least update in SC and get some of those stars reduced!

Reply by MW/VA on 10/1/12 4:30pm
Msg #436675

I know you're a real pro, Jim, but I don't think I would

have told them you could print from the car. It was clearly their messup & they should pay for 2 trips, especially at that kind of mileage.
I'm finding that this biz is no fun anymore at all. Lot of messups & it all falls on us & makes for a lot of unnecessary stress. I'm not there to save their butts, but they seem to think that's the case.
Yes, I'd make sure they paid for the additional trip & printing.

Reply by LKT/CA on 10/1/12 6:31pm
Msg #436698

<<<Should I hold out for additional? what to do?>>>

Well, NO....you should not hold out for an additional fee because you said it yourself - "the SS never says yes". Chalk this up to a lesson learned. Going forward, when you bring an issue to the attention of the lender/TC/SS and are told it is okay (given the green light), they need to be shown that THAT becomes the original order. In other words, whatever docs you have in hand when you walk out your front door is the original order (38 pages), unless they knew additional docs were coming and negotiated that.

I would have made it crystal clear to the hiring party that since the lender gave the green light and said "okay" (38 pages), that the agreed upon fees applies to the 38 pages - which is the original order. Anything beyond the original order - additional printing and another trip - incurs additional fees. They would have had to agree to that long before the signing appt. or they can call another notary.

Reply by janCA on 10/1/12 8:04pm
Msg #436718

Sorry, Lisa, I don't agree.

If this is such an upstanding SS, they need to do whatever is necessary to not only try to receive more compensation from the lender for this extra trip, but to keep this NSA, who had to travel back 30 miles to get the job done, but who had also alerted them in the first place that something was array (sp).We bend over backwards constantly, for SS's, title companies, lenders and borrowers. Don't you think this SS needs to step up to the plate and do the same for person who saved their behinds in this instance?

Reply by Jack/AL on 10/1/12 9:28pm
Msg #436731

Agree with those above about getting confirmation of additional pay, before printing and going back. Whether I can print in the car or not, I'd say something like, "As soon as you send me the missing docs and confirmation for $XX additional for the return trip, I'll contact the borrowers and determine at what time we estimate we can continue the signing. Of course, I'd be hoping that the confirmation email and docs would arrive within minutes, otherwise, I'd slowly drive toward home, just in case they did not arrive. If they did not arrive soon, I'd be waiting at home, rather than in the parking lot of a hamburger joint between home and the signing location. Good to hear from you again, Jim. I suppose you've had a busy year, in many ways, since the tornado. Roll Tide..........

Reply by LKT/CA on 10/1/12 9:52pm
Msg #436735

<<<Don't you think this SS needs to step up to the plate and do the same for person who saved their behinds in this instance?>>>

Yes, they do, but NSAs cannot count on the other company doing the right thing. This is why procedures/parameters have to be in place at Biz A so that Biz B is prevented from unfairly profiting from their own disorganization or incompetence.

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 10/2/12 12:08am
Msg #436758

How about just not working for the bums again? Surely, no one can be that financially desparate to be constantly looking over their shoulder to see how this outfit is going to screw him over the next time when he has done everything he can to bail out the lender, help the borrower, cover for the SS and save the day.

Like you said, this is a learning opportunity to make sure this never happens with another SS. But the best part should be that it will never happen again with that SS because the NSA has taken the high road and left these losers behind.

Reply by Jim/AL on 10/2/12 9:32am
Msg #436787

Merritt Services burns the NSA.

I could have said I need confirmation for extra work, but I also could have been waiting on the side of the road for an hour or more to get it.
I did what I felt was right and saved their butts and got it done...yes it cost me time and $$$, but I did it right.

Reply by MW/VA on 10/2/12 1:41pm
Msg #436817

Yes, Jim. That's what a true professional always does. :-) n/m

Reply by Merritt Services, Inc. on 6/12/13 7:15pm
Msg #473100

Every time I make the mistake of looking at anything here on Notary Rotary I am so disappointment in human nature and get my heart broken. Jim, we paid you $175 and you have continued taking work from us.