Bring your own witness? I have a signing coming up on Saturday and there’s some confusion because the borrower is saying that he’s requesting notary bring The second witness there’s two witnesses required I can be one of them but there needs a second and he saying he doesn’t have any. Notary Xpress seemed like I should be able to bring a witness so I was caught off guard and I said well I don’t know and they said well will pay $25 extra for you to bring your own witness now I’m stuck with this it’s probably too late to cancel but I really don’t know how to handle it I don’t really have anybody except to bring someone in my own family and they don’t really want to come obviously I can’t have someone sign afterwards I really don’t know if I should call Notary express and tell them that this isn’t gonna work. I know it’s my fault for agreeing to it on the phone but I’m still new with this ends didn’t really know how it works is this something that happens sometimes and how do you handle it and for what price
The company is offering to pay your witness, so at least there’s that…most expect it to be free and you have to fight for that.
That said, if you don’t have anyone willing to make the trip with you, talk to borrower again in length - ask them “don’t you have a neighbor who will pop in for 5 minutes? They don’t need to know anything of your business or what it’s about, they just need to watch you sign the document and sign as a witness”. Let the signer do some digging and make an effort to find someone.
Meanwhile I’d let hiring party know immediately there is a problem here as, despite their offer to pay, you have no one available and if signer can’t find someone you will need to turn it back. Let hiring party know this as soon as possible so they can make alternate arrangements if necessary.
I, personally, would not do the signing if they say “well, just go do it, you be one witness and we will take care of the second one back here”…No thank you.
Good luck
Thank you for your response well the plot thickens because the borrowers mother just called me and said that they are going to have a witness a tenant in the building so that’s good but am I supposed to call back now and tell them that I’m not providing the witness so they can lower my fee
I would let them know the witness issue has been resolved and the witness will be provided by the borrower. It’s only fair.
I would not explain anything to the signing company, your now the signing agent and the first witness so your getting $25.00 extra for being the witness. I think that’s fair
Disagree here - the initial fee should include being the witness; c’mon, it’s one signature…no big deal; extra witness fees are paid when the NSA has to provide an additional witness for their time and inconvenience, which does not apply to the assigned NSA.