Posted by Kat2857/CA on 4/11/13 3:00pm
Msg #465340

Had my first coffee table signing today. :)

Don't know what hurts worse my back or knees. Very nice couple.

Reply by Roger_OH on 4/11/13 3:05pm
Msg #465341

Shoot, I'll take a card table over...

the hood of a car, or on the living room floor on a magazine!

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 4/11/13 3:07pm
Msg #465342

Don't let this happen to you

No. ! rule in coffee table signings: Let the borrowers wreck their backs and knees if they
are not willing or are unable to sign at a regular table. You sit perfectly upright on the sofa and hand the docs to them with an outstretched arm; make then come to you to retrieve the docs and return them to you; not the other way around.

Reply by Jessica/FL on 4/11/13 3:13pm
Msg #465343

^^^LIKE! ;) n/m

Reply by sheltn on 4/11/13 3:48pm
Msg #465348

Re: ^^^LIKE! ;) can relate

had this happen too. The funny thing is both
of the houses were huge and furnished so
well. I mentioned that we might want to use
the table, but the bos. said this coffee table will be fine.
I didn't insist. but really!?

Reply by RonnieB/NC on 4/11/13 4:28pm
Msg #465351

Re: ^^^LIKE! ;) can relate

I had this happened to me too. Borrowers wanted to sit in front of their big flat screen TV and watched the ACC
Tournament of the Final Four

Reply by JanetK_CA on 4/11/13 5:01pm
Msg #465356

Re: ^^^LIKE! ;) can relate

I've had that happen too many times to count. If there's another option, I DO insist... very politely and with a smile, but I let them know that I don't think that will work, and that it will be much easier to work on a kitchen or dining room table. Even a counter standing up is preferable to me. Sometimes I blame it on my bad back. Crunching over a coffee table is guaranteed to make it worse. I've had at least one insist and get rather belligerent about it, but that was because they'd had a bad experience with the lender and were ticked off before I even arrived. (And he might have just been a first class jerk!)

They may think it will be fine, but I'm the one with experience, I don't care how many times they've refi'd, and I'm the one conducting the signing. Most of the time, people will go along with it and sometimes even end up thanking me.

Reply by Notarysigner on 4/11/13 6:27pm
Msg #465375

Ditto JanetK I tell them WE ALL are entitled to be

comfortable.

Reply by bagger on 4/11/13 4:43pm
Msg #465353

Re: Don't let this happen to you

I wish I could have pulled that on my last coffee table signing.
It was a brother/sister team in a condo.
Together I bet they were well over 600 pounds.
He has bad knees, walks with a walker, she is on oxygen.
The place is filthy, I do mean filthy.
She told me the kitchen table is out of commission.
Took well over an hour.
I got home and jumped in the shower!

Reply by Belinda/CA on 4/11/13 5:07pm
Msg #465358

I carry a little folding table in my car. It has come

in handy on many occasions. Did one at a VERY low black lacquered gorgeous inlaid table yesterday and though I was going to die. They had no chairs. None except his wheelchair.

Hey, now I think I'll carry a little stool to set on too. That would have made the signing tolerable. Hum.

Reply by HSH/WA on 4/11/13 5:29pm
Msg #465361

Re: I was lucky to get a TV table once with all the clutter. n/m

Reply by Saul Leibowitz on 4/11/13 5:37pm
Msg #465364

Re: I was lucky to get a TV table once with all the clutter.

A tiny condo, a "breakfast bar" type setup so no kitchen table; her visiteng twin brother [really] working at the little desk so we sat side by side on her couch and placed the documents on top of a chair whichc we put in front of us for a desk. Worked fine, but the notary seals looked faint. Made him move so that the stamp on the mortgage would be perfect.

I hate coffe tables as my old knees rebel after 1/2 of the closing.

Reply by Karla/OR on 4/11/13 5:41pm
Msg #465366

Unbelievable what we have to put up with! My worst (no-table) closing was in a dim living room - they sat in their chairs and I on the couch. They offered me their cat 'tree' as a table!!! :O)

Reply by RIcloser on 4/11/13 8:46pm
Msg #465391

How about this? The house was so cluttered and had 5 dogs and 4 cats, so the borrower suggested we close on the porch (which was also very cluttered.) I sat on a torn webbed sand chair while he signed on a plywood sheet over a rusty 50 gallon drum. My arms hurt from handing UP the docs. And, the goat interrupted a few times.

Reply by RIcloser on 4/11/13 8:54pm
Msg #465392

AND, I did have a coffee table one two months ago. That wasn't so much the problem as was the overall household stench and the toddler with a dirty diaper walking up to me several times. Signing was for a debt consolidation while the $2,500 TV was blaring.

Reply by HisHughness on 4/11/13 11:45pm
Msg #465403

An integral part of my confirmation call ...

... is to explicitly tell the borrower that we need an appropriate working space -- NO coffee table closings. Haven't had one in years. Many borrowers think they'll be signing a couple of documents that will take about 5 minutes.

Reply by Kenny Services - Dawn on 4/12/13 10:06am
Msg #465437

OMG! Funny this is mentioned. I had my first "Foyer" Closing last month. They wanted to do the closing in the foyer! they had a small but tall round table and one chair on each side, husband had to stand. When I sat, I sunk into the chair(Im not a big women) my chin was even with the table top. I felt like a dwarf! It was ridiculous, i had to keep the papers on my lap because their was not enough room on the table. What are people thinking??????

Reply by Rose/TX on 4/12/13 3:05pm
Msg #465460

Dawn, Just the image of what you described made me laugh!!

I, too, have had a coffee table signing, never again! My back hurt for a week and my knees were wobbly for days!! I have also conducted a signing standing up at the breakfast bar because the kitchen table was cluttered with toys, and dishes!! They knew I was coming, you'd think they'd clear the junk off the table right??

Reply by Shan/CA on 4/12/13 5:28pm
Msg #465473

Not only do they not clear the table, they wait until we show up to start cooking dinner!!!

Reply by hodgy on 4/12/13 4:26pm
Msg #465461

I have had a TV table signing, a pickup tailgate signing, a Hurricane -no power- signing, a signing in my car and several signings in cluttered houses that smell like cat urine and WISH I had done those signings outside.

I want to do signings on yachts or penthouse suites or maybe in a hot tub.

Reply by hodgy on 4/12/13 6:53pm
Msg #465481

Great! You must have jinxed me. Just did a coffee table signing!

Reply by CopperheadVA on 4/12/13 8:33pm
Msg #465490

Me too - tonight! n/m