Posted by Karla/OR on 11/6/13 11:46am
Msg #491576

Closing for next door neighbor

I just received the confirmation for a closing (a week away) that happens to be for my next door neighbor. We are on good terms with him. He is a contractor and has given advice on several of our household projects and we attended a party at his home once.

My quandary is whether or not any of you have done closings for your neighbors. These docs have such personal info on them. I'm wondering if he would feel uncomfortable with the info in my hands.

I am guessing your advice will be to use my best judgement or to call and ask the neighbor if he feels okay with me doing it. I, personally, am fine with doing it.

(I did check the orange button but nothing helpful that I saw)

TIA!!!

Reply by jba/fl on 11/6/13 11:49am
Msg #491577

Most will tell you to do what you expected to hear. Most BO's that are known to notaries don't have the qualms one might expect them to have. But, I would still give them the choice.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 11/6/13 11:53am
Msg #491578

I would call and ask your neighbour if he is OK with you handling the closing. I once got a call to do the signing for a friend, I called her to make sure she was OK with it, she was and she appreciated me calling to ask.

Reply by Linda Juenger on 11/6/13 12:11pm
Msg #491581

I used to call them and ask if they had a problem with me. Most are thrilled that they know the person coming. I did have one that the hubby was ok with me, but the wife wasn't. I turned it back.

Now, I don't even ask anymore. I just call then to confirm and haven't had a problem since. This is my line of work and if they have a problem, they will let me know when I confirm.

Reply by Karla/OR on 11/6/13 12:10pm
Msg #491580

Just as I suspected. THANKS jba and Sylvia!!!

Reply by Lavergne Manuel on 11/6/13 12:16pm
Msg #491582

I've done 13 signings for people of my Church and I have always asked if they were OK with that and they all were and I always reassure them that their business is their business and no one will hear their business from me. No one has refused and most of them were glad that it was someone they knew. Just another signing and we never mentioned it again.

Reply by Darlin_AL on 11/6/13 12:30pm
Msg #491586

call & confirm, be professiona, as usual

include that you are background-screened. If you haven't ever alluded to any signing incident or happening in conversation w/them, you should be ok. They can always call the LO and ask for somebody else. When you get there, don't be "chatty" as that always slows stuff down.

Reply by ReneeK_MI on 11/6/13 1:12pm
Msg #491594

I'm odd man out again.

I've only once had this happen, where it was someone I knew - and I simply turned it back and let the client know why (and they had NO issue with that). The reason I wouldn't and didn't call the borrower to find out if it was ok, is because the question puts the person on the spot, and I think they could prefer you NOT know any of their business, but not want to offend you by saying so.

Reply by Carolyn Bodley on 11/6/13 1:50pm
Msg #491599

I'm right there with you Renee

and for the same reasons as you. The less I know about the personal lives, financial history, etc. of my neighbors and vice versa the better. There are two houses directly across the street from me and two beside me -- those four houses are the neighborhood gossip chain. I mean, they literally half-kill themselves with the first going to the second house, the second going to the third house and the third going to the fourth house and the fourth going to the first house. If they don't know the scoop on someone, then they make it up.

When I did signings, it was just common sense AND common courtesy to turn the signings back without any conversation with my neighbors beforehand.

Reply by Notarysigner on 11/6/13 1:52pm
Msg #491600

Ditto....both my neighbors asked me about

doing their RV I Declined. I wanted to keep the friendship and NOT have to answer questions about it the rest of my/their lives.

Reply by Julie/MI on 11/6/13 8:38pm
Msg #491683

Hey Renee, it must be a Lakeview St.Clair Shores thing ;)

I have done the same thing and for the same reason!

Reply by JanetK_CA on 11/6/13 11:36pm
Msg #491696

There is another option

I agree with Renee on principle. I believe that many people would feel uncomfortable saying no out of fear that you might think they don't trust you, or that your feelings would be hurt if they didn't want you to do it, OR it could be that they realize that if they say no, it's costing you work. Another approach might be to call your client, let them know that the borrower is someone you know and see if they would be willing to call the borrower to see if they're OK with it.

The neighbor - or whoever - doesn't need to know that you know they're doing a refinance unless they tell the neutral third party that they're OK with you as their notary. But if someone else asks them, they can feel free to state their true feelings without fear of hurting yours. If they'd rather have someone else, I would be careful to never mention to them that you were even made aware that they had a notary come by - even if they mention it to you.

People don't always tell others what they really think - for many, many reasons.

Reply by Karla/OR on 11/7/13 3:29am
Msg #491704

Re: There is another option

Janet, I love your option as well. However, it would not have worked in this case because the scheduler that called me could hardly speak English. It's a problem!!!

Reply by Christine/OK on 11/7/13 4:25am
Msg #491706

Janet, Great thinking/option! n/m

Reply by Karla/OR on 11/6/13 7:32pm
Msg #491667

For anyone interested in the outcome:

I called the neighbor/borrower and asked if he had an issue with me doing his closing. He had no issue. In fact, he had told his lender/title contact that he has a next door neighbor (me) that could do it. He was told that THEY would pick the notary!!! I can understand the answer he got from them. The lender/title could have said okay only to find out that the notary has a bad record/reputation.

Thanks for EVERYONES supportive and educational comments.

Reply by Claudine Osborne on 11/6/13 8:48pm
Msg #491686

I assisted with a closing of my good friends loan..I asked her first if she was ok with it..Both her and the hubby were very happy that it was me!

I also closed with my former boss who fired me..( I was greatful to be fired as this is how I got started in this business) But as they say pay back is a a bi...I did not confirm with her before hand per the TC rules..So I felt a little bit of satisfaction in seeing her uncomfortable! But I was every bit the professional as allways!

Reply by VT_Syrup on 11/6/13 10:26pm
Msg #491693

I would never do a closing for a person who's property shares a boundary with my property. Since there could be some disagreement or confusion about the location of the property line, and since the Exhibit A would describe the property boundary, I would consider it a conflict of interest.