Posted by bagger on 9/19/12 12:26pm
Msg #435004

Flex closings wants a copy oy my DD-214!

Now, that's a new one for me.

Reply by Penney/CA on 9/19/12 12:29pm
Msg #435006

What??? Did they tell you why?

Reply by anotaryinva on 9/19/12 12:32pm
Msg #435009

I had to google DD-214, it's military records? How would they even know you had a history with the military?

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 9/19/12 12:51pm
Msg #435014

It's the military discharge papers...good grief n/m

Reply by Shelly_FL on 9/19/12 12:40pm
Msg #435011

Could they have possibly confused your email address with the borrowers?

Reply by Scriba/NM on 9/19/12 12:45pm
Msg #435012

Ummm....Why not call them and ask why?????? n/m

Reply by bagger on 9/19/12 1:04pm
Msg #435016

They sent ME an unsolicited email.

I went to the website, started singing uup with them (it's free), and when I got to this demand, I just said go to he**.
This is info they do not need on me, so I will not be signing on with them, nor will I waste my time asking why.

Reply by C. Rivera Chicago Notary Services on 9/20/12 12:09pm
Msg #435128

I had 1 lender ask for this document from a vet

as proof he was a veteran for his VA loan...other than that, I don't see why these morans asked you for this information?! How intrusive!

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 9/19/12 12:54pm
Msg #435015

Flex closings would have no reason to even

have the borrowers' DD-214 either..

Reply by HisHughness on 9/19/12 1:08pm
Msg #435017

Re: Flex closings would have no reason to even

I've noted this repeatedly: Signing agents go into people's homes on behalf of lenders, title companies and signing services. If any NSA ever robs, rapes or spits on the new carpet in a borrower's home, the borrower's lawyer is going to cast a wide net for anybody to sue. Guess who's going to be the biggest bear on the block caught in that net? It's going to be BOA, or Wells Fargo, or Chase, or whoever.

If I were representing a lender or a lender's insurance carrier, I would <never> accept the casual attitude toward the character of NSAs that has prevailed in this industry. I would be requiring real background checks, and if that BGC did not include ascertaining whether a discharge was honorable or dishonorable, I'd insist on one that did.

Can you imagine what Johnny Cochran would have done representing a client against BOA if a signing agent had been accused of rape while in someone's home on a BOA assignment, and if that agent had been dishonorably discharged because of sexual improprieties?

We can bellyache all we wish about requiring such things, but what we should be doing is uttering praryers of gratitude that lenders/TCs/SSs are just now getting around to demanding them.

Reply by CinOH on 9/19/12 1:36pm
Msg #435019

Re: Flex closings would have no reason to even

Under that same scenario the parties you mention should also demand the same level of background information from borrowers before requesting we go into their homes. I've heard many stories about incompetent notaries. However, I've yet to hear about a notary attacking a borrower. On the other hand I have heard several stories of notaries being held against their will, cursed out, physically attacked, and threatened by borrowers.

I received a call once to go to the home of a convicted sexual predator. I know that because I look up addresses I go to via the sheriff's database. I turned the job back and told them why.

A DD214 only tells you how the individual separated from the military. Just because someone has an honorable discharge does not mean they are a good person, competent, or trustworthy. I would not have given them my discharge papers either. It's none of their business and has nothing to do with anything.

It's amazing that we're the ones extending credit to these companies and going into the homes of strangers, yet we're the ones under scrutiny. We're registered with the state, carry E&O insurance, pay for background checks, and are at the most risk for getting ripped off or physically harmed, yet all we demand is a confirmation of our fee via email.

Seems very lopsided to me. You say we should be required to give them every bit of personal info they demand for liability purposes. How about some reciprocity?

Reply by HisHughness on 9/19/12 2:04pm
Msg #435024

This is really specious reasoning

We are independent contractors. It is up to us to see after our own safety. If you wish to require background checks of borrowers before you will close a loan, have at it. You may simultaneously want to check on the eligibility requirements for food stamps, because I suspect you will be applying for them.

Complain all you wish. It is wise business for hiring parties to know what they are hiring.

Reply by CinOH on 9/19/12 6:30pm
Msg #435065

Re: This is really specious reasoning

Yes. We are independent contractors. Not employees. Which is why it is beyond absurd that a signing service is asking for a DD214. Most employers don't ask for a DD214 unless the individual is applying for a certain type of position or military credit.

I was a welfare caseworker for several years. I know the foodstamp eligibility requirements quite well, but thank you for your concern.

No complaints here. I control the information I choose to give to hiring authorities.

Simply pointing out the errant logic in your statement.

Reply by Linda Juenger on 9/19/12 1:43pm
Msg #435022

Re: Flex closings would have no reason to even

My husband says the exact same thing Hugh. He cannot believe I/We get away with what we do now. It's just around the corner folks and they are going to require more and more. It's going to have to be consistent though. This requiring ONLY this bgc over another is ridiculous. Ins companies and lawyers feed off this.

Reply by MW/VA on 9/19/12 2:23pm
Msg #435027

Let's remember that works both ways, Hugh. We are

going to people's homes, and we are taking a certain amt. of risk. We also have no way of knowing if they're rapists, murderers, etc. Just because they own a home & can get a loan doesn't give them a clear bgc either. IMO we are taking the greater risk. BTW, I carry a Business Liability Policy, just in case I am sued for some infraction. We're independent contractors, and the lenders have no liability for our actions.

Reply by HisHughness on 9/19/12 3:00pm
Msg #435032

Re: Let's remember that works both ways, Hugh. We are

***We're independent contractors, and the lenders have no liability for our actions.***

I want to be there when you tell a hungry lawyer that you are an independent contractor, and even though you ran over the borrower's 2-year-old child backing out of his driveway, Bank of America is not responsible because you failed the drivers test and don't have a license. And I want to hear you plead your case to BOA that it should continue to hire you, drivers license or not. But most of all, I want to be a fly on the wall of jury room when the jurors consider who hired you, who failed to check you out, whether the borrower could have refused to accept you based on a lack of a background check, whether the borrower was told you didn't have a drivers license, ad infinitum.

One more time: There is a legitimate reason lenders, title companies and signing services demand background checks and other such information from signing agents. Your role as an independent contractor will not protect them from suit, and most likely will not protect them from the issue being tried, and will not help much in the size of any verdict rendered.

I'm beginning to wonder if it is going to take a lawsuit such as I described to hammer that point home, or if signing agents are forever going to continue whistling as they hurry past that particular graveyard.

Reply by MW/VA on 9/19/12 3:16pm
Msg #435034

I understand what you're saying, Hugh. There are

plenty of "hungry" lawyers out there, looking for those kind of things to bring lawsuits about on behalf of their client. I'm all for bgc's, E&O insurance, etc. I have nothing to hide, and don't mind being transparent to a point. Some info is really none of their business, IMO, especially something like a person's military records. That would all show up on a bgc, anyway.
I'm still of the opinion that we are not "employees" and shouldn't be asked to submit information that is required of employees.

Reply by bagger on 9/19/12 3:49pm
Msg #435039

OK,

I understand the BGC, and even supplying my DL.
BUT DD-214?
What does my military record have to do with it?

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 9/20/12 12:35am
Msg #435097

Re: Flex closings would have no reason to even

I think the solution to all of this is never meet in a borrower's home. Insist you meet at a public place. If anybody asks why, just say so there's little or no possibility of anybody raping or robbing anybody. Tell them your insurance does not cover the actions of sexual predators (you or the borrower), running over their 2-year-old, scratching their mahogany dining table with binder clips or anything else.

CA notaries are checked by he FBI and the DOJ to make sure they're not crooks and that the the state can trust them to carry out their duties without fear of fraud or corruption. SSs want to carry that further to make sure SAs will not cause problems at a borrower's home. So I say meet at Starbucks.

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 9/19/12 1:37pm
Msg #435021

They are lowballers anyway and not worth working for. n/m

Reply by Frank/NC on 9/19/12 1:53pm
Msg #435023

Ask them for a copy of their payment record. One of the worst.

Reply by gaby on 9/19/12 2:20pm
Msg #435026

love it!

Reply by Jessica Ward on 9/19/12 2:23pm
Msg #435028

Could it be they're hoping to establish you as

a veteran owned-business? (Similar to women/minority owned business designation) They get extra incentives for hiring woman/vet/disabled vet/minority owned businesses. Some of the big companies even assist you in filing the papers to qualify for those statuses.

I considered signing up as a WMBE but because WA is a Community Property State, I found out I'd have to do a whole lot of paperwork to get my husband's name off the business, prove that he didn't contribute to the starting of the business, etc.

Not worth the hassle IMO.

Reply by MW/VA on 9/19/12 2:24pm
Msg #435029

Another absurd request! No way! n/m

Reply by Linda Juenger on 9/19/12 3:30pm
Msg #435036

bagger, how did they know you were in the military? n/m

Reply by bagger on 9/19/12 3:50pm
Msg #435040

There was a question earlier asking if I was a veteran. n/m

Reply by SharonMN on 9/19/12 4:11pm
Msg #435044

I agree that title companies should do more research regarding who they hire. However, instead of worrying about background checks, driver licenses, etc., I suggest they simply ask some questions or check references to determine whether someone is in fact a qualified, knowledgable signing agent & business person (which does not mean a purchaser of such & such training course .)

This complete lack of due diligence is where they can really get in trouble. Can you imagine a lawyer summing up for the jury: So this company got the name and phone number of this supposed "signing agent" from a website, made a phone call which consisted solely of "are you available" and "we pay $XX," and sent the borrowers entire loan package, with all of their personal information, to this "signing agent" they knew nothing about, that had no qualifications, and had never completed a loan signing before. Did the company do their job to protect the borrower? I don't think so. I think the borrower (who has no say in selecting the signing agent) is at much greater risk of being harmed by an incompetent, unprofessional signing agent than by a professional signing agent that's also a murderer or whatever.

Reply by JPH13/MO on 9/19/12 4:14pm
Msg #435046

Re: Flex closings wants a copy oy my DD-214! / amen! n/m

Reply by dgd/CA on 9/19/12 6:36pm
Msg #435067

I've read and re-read this rolling post. I think, too, that if they secure you as a SA, they will receive tax credits. However; I feel you're military service is your business. Yes, the background check that we go through in CA would have shown the status of your discharge, if there had been anything negative, you would have to had proved your case to your SOS satisfactorily. At some point, our personal lives should stay private (ok, don't assail me here with contrary comments, we all know, due to the internet, everything about our lives is out there somewhere). If I understand it (through any number of recent posts) this SC is really Not Worth Your Time. Cripes, you can earn more money through increasing your GNW bz, with far less headaches.

Thank you for your service to our great nation. :-)

Reply by BrendaTx on 9/19/12 8:24pm
Msg #435086

They can ask for anything that they please. We can say no to anything we please.

Reply by Jack/AL on 9/19/12 11:56pm
Msg #435094

Ya'll sure rant and rave a lot.................. n/m

Reply by LKT/CA on 9/20/12 4:05pm
Msg #435159

<<<They can ask for anything that they please. We can say no to anything we please.>>>

I agree with you, Brenda. I'd definitely say NO to a copy of my DD214 - and I have one from the Navy. This is how I see it: The hiring party calls me, not the other way around. They take me as I am or the borrowers can drag themselves (loan docs in hand) and their four kids under the age of 8 (after working 10 hours and sitting in traffic another 2 hours) right over to the local UPS Store. Hopefully, the notary isn't on a lunch break.

Reply by AR_razormac on 11/16/12 10:39pm
Msg #443724

This is proof positive that people will complaim about anything. If you dont want to work for them because YOU selected that YOU were a service member and they would like proof then so beit.. dont! I am sure they do not really give a crap that someone who is going whine about every piece of information requested does not want to work for them! This is the same thing that I read over and over in this forum!

Badger,

First ANY employer could ask for your DD-214 if you notate that you are a veteran.

Second believe it or not YOUR precious DD-214 with same information that you are going to provide anyways, is a matter of public record and with the proper requests could be accessed by anyone. (I suppose that there is something on their you dont want seen, like you have a lot of page Pg. 13 entries or the fact that you cannot tell everyone how you were in special forces running black ops when Johnny got shot behind enemy lines.)

Lastly You cannot make all the demands and expect that you do not have to bend to any of theirs.

If you truely want to work you are going to have to what is required to keep working. If you only want to work on your terms then I suppose you are going to play alot of solitaire. Then there are those that CAN tell companies to go pound sand because this is not their only employment.

Thanks for hanging with me and my rant!