Janet, I had an all too similar experience last night with my "seller' signing. The seller docs contained a grant deed that didn't have a "grantee" listed and the address to return the document to after recording was blank. I emailed the signing serviced and the title company prior to the signing to let them know this doc wasn't completed. I was told that I wasn't supposed to fill out the grant deed. (duh!) I was to have them sign and then notarize the signature. Again, I explain I can't do this because the document is incomplete, and I can't notarize an incomplete document. At the signing, I learned that the husband is being transferred and if their house doesn't sell in XX days, his employer is going to purchase the property. Now I understand that the grantee was blank because the buyer is unknown. The whole pkg was completed except for this grant deed. Now, today, I'm getting emails from this closing specialist with the title company, who is NOT in my state, is telling me "There is no state law stating you can't notarize it blank". (He is wrong.) He goes on and addresses the signing service in this joint email to say that in the future they need to notify the notaries that some of the documents to be notarized are going to be incomplete since the buyer is unknown and if the notaries can't do the whole package, they need to find another option. (He obviously isn't open to any change on his part or a post-closing with a correct and complete grant deed.)
Here is my question for all of you fine notaries. I'm trying to get in touch with the signing service to discuss this issue with them. I want to know where they stand on this. Basically, do they have my back? If they don't, then I have to ask myself if I'm going to continue working with them. Should I do that or just put it all behind me and move on?
Have you had your bridge burned with a title company/signing service/lender, etc because you did the right thing? I lost a signing service because I was "difficult to work with" simply because I didn't notarize. Instead, I choose to obey the law. Days like this make me ask myself if I should throw in the towel and hang up my notary hat. So tired of being treated like an idiot and told by somebody who ISN'T a notary, how to do my job! Belittling me just makes my blood boil even more! |
