Posted by TacomaBoy on 8/6/13 6:38pm
Msg #479441

Initials on the Dox?

The below instructions were included in a signing package from a well known national signing company.

"Please do not initial any of the documents. This applies to documents that have initial lines at the bottom." Okie-Dokie! (I'm wondering what has triggered this latest trend in signing protocol among my client base?)

Back in the day, I had about 300 regular, active clients with varying signing and initialing requirements. Rather than trying to sort out their individual differences, I simply had customers initial most everything. Until recently, I never received negative feedback or comments about his practice. Somehow over 10,000 mortgages were closed without peep!

Nowadays, unless I have very clear and specific instructions regarding this matter, nothing is initialed.

Your NotRot comments PLEASE!

Reply by JanetK_CA on 8/6/13 6:47pm
Msg #479443

As a general rule, I only do - or instruct borrowers to do - what is asked for (excepting things related to my state's notary laws); no more, no less.

Reply by MW/VA on 8/6/13 6:59pm
Msg #479446

It will be interesting to see if it gets kicked back for not

having initials where they're supposed to be.
I, like you, used to have the borrowers initial all pages of the HUD, Note, & DOT. I still have them initial all pages of the HUD, but only the Note & DOT if there are lines for it. Since many of the DOT's are 19 pages, it does save a lot of work that was unnecessary.

Reply by TacomaBoy on 8/6/13 7:13pm
Msg #479456

It will be interesting to see if it gets kicked back for not

One of my signing clients is a licensed Washington State attorney, who specializes in R/E closings and other critical R/E work. He used to insist that I have "ink on every page" when returning dox to him. However, I thought someone lit his hair on fire when I returned one of his packages with initials the other day. He says all of his lenders have adopted the "no initials" policy. We both agree, not initially certain dox (Note, DOT) could open the door to fraudulent practices by holders-in-due-course of the dox.

Reply by Buddy Young on 8/6/13 7:02pm
Msg #479448

I only have them inital where there is a place for them.

I once had borrowers initial where there was no line for it on the dot and title was angry with me so initial only where there is a line for it.

Reply by Karla/OR on 8/6/13 7:04pm
Msg #479449

Humorous to me that they say do not initial, even if there are initial lines!!! Could they not just eliminate them from the docs so there is no question????

My wish would be to see the initials eliminated all together. ESPECIALLY on those docs that are i.e., pages 2-16 of a deed and those docs that the BO signs!!! These are never easy to substantiate to a BO.

I know, in my dreams, right??!!!

Reply by MW/VA on 8/6/13 7:08pm
Msg #479451

Personally, I'd rather initial all the pages of the DOT.

There's no chance of pages getting swapped out that way, not saying anyone would do that, but who knows?????

Reply by TacomaBoy on 8/6/13 7:19pm
Msg #479459

Personally, I'd rather initial all the pages of the DOT.

Exactly! There are some people in this industry that will swap dox to solve a problem, but, of course, their problem gets worse at that point.

"Personally, I'd rather initial all the pages of the DOT. There's no chance of pages getting swapped out that way, not saying anyone would do that, but who knows?????"

Reply by MW/VA on 8/6/13 7:36pm
Msg #479462

Yes, I was being facetious, of course. ;-) n/m

Reply by TacomaBoy on 8/6/13 7:45pm
Msg #479464

Yes, I was being facetious, of course. ;-)

Facetious? Hey! Just think about all the stupid R/E stunts we've read about in the papers just in the last couple of years! Amazing!

Reply by MW/VA on 8/6/13 7:55pm
Msg #479465

Not limited to the mortgage & RE industry, either. n/m

Reply by linda/ca on 8/6/13 8:55pm
Msg #479473

Only where requested; I don't burden borrowers and know

that companies have different rules that they want you to adhere to. Even if they wanted me to and not make it clear, It is a protection for me; as the request was not noted, otherwise extra trip is on my dime...

Reply by NVLSlady/VA on 8/6/13 10:44pm
Msg #479479

So . . . they want you to pretend the initial lines are Invisible??

What about the pages on the 1003 (sometimes there's initials, sometimes not)? Or the newly revised Bo/Contractor* form (saw the 3pp version yesterday) with like 5 initial lines per (ltr size) page?

I admit I need to pay more attention to some of these instructions. I ran into the issue about printing borrower's and notary's (my) name on lines below the signature if it wasn't already there - and I MISSED that detail on this particular SS's INstructions. I may get a slap on hand for it . . . but what I can't understand is WHY - since my NAME is on my seal!!


*At least there's actually a place for our notary seal now!

Reply by rolomia on 8/6/13 11:11pm
Msg #479482

Initials aren't required by circuit court clerk recordng dox

Initials are optional. Each entity has policy that suits any number of secretive reasons that they'll never share with NSA's, if they even reveal those proprietary reasons with the BO's. But, I tend to agree with the NSA who suggested that the TC who prepared said docs. may want the option of rewriting docs. after the closing. And, as it was mentioned, BO's initials could prevent that. JMHO

Reply by SharonMN on 8/7/13 12:26pm
Msg #479529

Well, obviously the title company/lender wants to be able to make corrections to the document without having the replacement page being the only fishy-looking one without an initial. This may be OK per the Limited POA, but they are probably swapping out pages for a cleaner look as opposed to lining through and making corrections to the actual document signed by the borrower(s).