After having scanned back a reverse mortgage and sent out the docs, I received a phone call from the loan officer saying that I needed to go back to the home and pick up a bank statement because the one in the file was old. (this to verify social security deposits) and also a mortgage statement. I said I would go and I even called the homeowner to ask them to verify that they would be home so I could come by. Then…a light bulb went on in my brain. This type of request, if for real, should be coming from the signing agency and not from an LO. Would you agree with this? So I did not go back. I sent an email about this to the agent for clarification. It’s not impossible that this LO just wanted to try to bamboozle me into making an unnecessary trip just for kicks because I requested an increase in my fee on this signing. How would you respond when an LO calls like this? Do you ever act on instructions from someone other than the signing company?
LO didn’t hire you. You do not owe him a free trip for any reason.
A replacement document needs to be a request delivered to the signers. They can just scan and email it back. No need for the notary to be involved. I would have declined any such request, no matter who made it.
Speaking as a former LO with 30 years experience, no way should an LO or lender ask you to do that. Legally, you’d need a blanket authorization letter in your or your company’s name to request that.
As s former loan processor, sounds like someone missed an updated document and tried to get you to go and pick it up. I would have not gone back without an additional trip fee.
If I am requested to return for an error or omission that is not my fault, I ask for a trip fee. The Lender ultimately is the boss because the Escrow and scheduling companies are doing their part of the loan process, for example, the DOT is prepared by and for the Lender even though it is a Title document.
If my signer is adept in using a scanner or computer, I will suggest the documents that do not require notarization are docu-signed or sent by the Borrower. Most times my signers are not able to scan a document without difficulty so a return trip is required. This trip is not for free.
That’s all very interesting. It seems to me that if the docs contain a closing sheet with prior to funding conditions, we notaries should probably review them carefully to see what is missing. This even when the notary instructions don’t have any mention of what we are supposed to collect. It’s not impossible that the person who put together the notary instructions didn’t bother to look at the final conditions sheet. Underwriting could have asked for something like a bank statement or a mortgage statement. I will always be on the lookout for these and read them so that I don’t have to make a 2nd trip.
I agree with most of the responders that this is not part of the signing agents’ job, but should revert to the one who compiled loan documentation in the first place. As far as apropriateness, there are people in life who treat everyone else as if they were their servants. I am not sure you should read more into it than that. These people usually know they are out of line and get called on it all the time, but since they respect no one, they do it.
How would I have responded? Probably with a chuckle. As a former loan processor and loan officer, I know whose responsibility it is to gather documentation for a loan file. And it certainly isn’t that of the notary. That loan rep has a lot of chutzpah.
All those documents are to be collected when they apply. He wanted you to cover his butt because if it’s missing it won’t fund.
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