Got a call from a favorite scheduler asking if I go to a location, said yes my fee is this.
So she sends the order. I download the paperwork and get a call from the escrow officer - Have you reviewed the documents? Yes. Can you tell me if you see anything that looks odd?
Well the certification as a non foreign person has a social security number that has only 8 digits and that’s wrong.
A big sigh of relief - YES please have the signer correct that.
The original notary told her it wasn’t her problem. That she assumed a signer knows their own social security number. Did not want to go fix it at her cost. The way you are required to.
Wow. I had done several contracts for that escrow officer. So I told her - you can always just email me and I’ll handle your files.
It’s why I worry less about competition. Some notaries put themselves out of business.
So QC everything not just a signature and date.
Some things jump out at you, so you check with Title. Other things don’t. Regardless, it’s not the notary’s job to do a QC check of the pkg. Curious–do you check the math on the Closing Statement, too? I do NOT think this was a notary error, so am with first notary–not her error, so not on her dime.
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I personally noticed an eight digit Social Security number as incorrect. Which has absolutely nothing to do with the mathematics on a closing disclosure as you well know.
This is an interesting one. I’ve had signing instructions that said “Do not alter or change the documents.” That error with the Social Security number in the loan package should have been caught before ever getting to the loan signing agent. As such, I can see where the LSA is coming from when they say they aren’t doing another trip without payment. It’s important to be understanding and go the extra mile. In fact, there’s an “ERRORS AND OMISSIONS / COMPLIANCE AGREEMENT,” and I think its sole purpose is to deal with situations like this.
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I agree…
I can’t say I wouldn’t have had them to pay me to go back for something like that, based on the information provided in the post.
@Johnsonps306
What kind of “Certification?” Was the SS already printed on the document by the company or was this something the signer wrote in and didn’t fill in the full number? Maybe that’s what’s not being said above.
Who’s examining every document to make sure all of the signer’s typed in information is correct on all the documents.
I have let a company know the wife’s name was missing from the alta settlement statement. That is an obvious error that I caught because it was a joint signing. They were able to correct it before I went to the appointment. Would it have been my fault if I wasn’t able to review the documents before the signing? Sometimes we have to print, grab and go.
This is a form where the signer fills in their Social Security number. It is not any form where it is pre-printed, and the Federer documents where your Social Security number is pre-printed you’re not allowed to correct. I think noticing assigner fills something out wrong is easy to spot. You asked them to fill out a forwarding address where required why wouldn’t you ask them to fill their Social Security number out correctly?
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johnsops306, It is commendable that you pay close attention to details. For example, when observing a signer completing the Loan Proceeds Delivery Instructions, I might not be able to ascertain if they have accurately provided their banking information. The only aspect I would likely notice is whether the signer has failed to check a box corresponding to their selected option. There have been instances where the hiring party made an error and sought to hold me accountable. It is well understood that nobody is perfect.
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A little common sense also comes into play. If you see something that’s obviously wrong, it will help everyone if you point it out and get it corrected BEFORE the signing.
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This was a previously signed document.
On distribution instructions I always tell a signer if there is an error on the direct deposit information provided they will be overnighted a check. I try to get a voided check for those.
