I’ve always considered agreeing to close a small loan package for a set fee then reciving a 200+ page loan hours before a signing as being bitten by an animal.
If I hear a dog, I will always ask if the clients can either put the animal in a kennel or if not I will ask to meet them else where. No exceptions.
If a dog put into another room won’t stop barking I’ve told owners if it doesn’t bite just let it out. I find the barking more disruptive than the demand for attention. I’ll pet a dog and then say go lay down. And the owner will take a cue and say go lay down. I can’t stand a dog barking like crazy in another room. But I don’t have problems with dogs usually.
All dogs, not just pit bulls, have jaws that can clamp down on prey.
OMG! This is terrible. I soooo sorry this happened to you. I usually ask if they could kindly put the dogs away until we finish the signing to ensure we are not distracted and ensure the signing goes as smoothly as possible.
Thats good; we have to have some boundaries.
Yes!
I began my loan signing career back in Corpus Christi, Tx and had an aggressive dog approach me but that day, that mutt got the wrong one. He began with growls as I returned that energy with a stern stare, not blinking. He continued to show teeth and I broke out with a sneer of my own. The owner said to me, “Son, he won’t hurt you.” I then made it perfectly clear that he did not see the interaction beforehand. That dog was VIOLENT! But he didn’t expect a man standing tall not budging.
Here’s the funny part; the family cat hopped over the fence, started rubbing her whiskers on my leg, looked up at me and jumped right into my arms. Big kitty, but sweet. I’m carrying this cat, my notary bag and the client’s documents worried that mutt would try a sneak attack behind me somehow as I lose sight of him entering the home. No way! ‘Cinnamon’ was my ally! In fact, the stupid dog backed off when Cinnamon was out in the yard with me. I then came to realize that Cinnamon ran things around there and the ‘vicious dog’ was absolutely SCARED of my new luv. She never left my side. I breezed through that signing like a champion with more sailing power than Dr. J. starting at the top of the key, flying through the air dunking on fools back in the day.
I know you had a very bad experience as getting bitten by a dog with an owner that obviously didn’t give a you know what puts a damp rag on someone’s head while dressed up. But the thing here is if you’re ever placed in that position again, make sure to relate everything to the signing agency. They should’ve counseled the borrowers of the incident. They’re lucky you didn’t sue!
Take care,
Marcus
Yes, you can sue, it is not instant money and may take over three years to resolve. I know someone in such a scenario, that case is 3 and a half years now and not resolved.
I’m surprised - that’s perfect liability - hard to dispute/contest it - liability for dogs is on dog owner and homeowner (not always one and the same). Dog bites are usually guaranteed to be settled by HO policies, which is why many breeds are precluded from coverage.
Maybe no insurance involved? Or a banned breed. Sorry to hear this happened to your acquaintance.
This is an HO case, there is no contesting the bite, there are records, expert testimony and the dog wasn’t banned. Tick Tick Tick.