This is addressed to all signing services, that may see this posting, who hire loan signing agents to perform real estate loan closings, this is a plea to your sensibilities:
When it’s time to pay the notary, pay the notary! You’ve received your fee from the title company. So why is it that we have to chase, hound, and downright harass your emails/text message/and phones when it is time for us to be paid (according to your payment policy)? All you did was push a button and sent out text notifications for a signing, but it is us notaries who does all the printing, prepping, driving, conduct the closing and complete it, hopefully, flawlessly! So when it is time to get paid after net 30, net 37, net 45, net 60, and ridiculously net 90 days, we want to get paid - just like you got paid, we want to get paid also!
In closing, please stop telling us that you are revamping your accounting platform, or you are overhauling your accounting system, or you are converting to a new payment schedule - whatever the back office problem is, it’s not our problem! We are tired of being stiffed on payments!!
And I don’t even have to mention any signing service that are currently stiffing, avoiding, and giving notaries the runaround regarding payment! You know Who You Are! It is unconscionable that in this community of notary services, notary / loan signing agents are being unfairly treated and it should not be this way. You should stand on principal, integrity, and do the right thing - pay your notaries when payment is due! It is no thrill for us to be on The Chase! Let the games begin as I am currently chasing a signing service for payment!
Here is a direct Notary Cafe url link to a GREAT Step-By-Step Guide by @rparker for a Non-Payment situation with a client:
======
Also, remember to reach out to the Title/Escrow Company that is associated with the documents to advise them to the NON-PAYMENT status for your successfully provided professional services.
This places them on ALERT that the Signing Service [SS] is not paying their invoices & they may promptly choose NOT to hire that SS for future Signing Orders [SOs].
======
In addition, this THEFT OF SERVICES post will elucidate the topic comprehensively for you:
To the gentlewoman who was kind enough to provide a step-by-step outline of the collections process: I thank you. Instead of venting again, I would like to contribute a resource called “FairShake.” They are a resolutions company that mediates disputes. FairShake assisted me a few years ago with a dispute. You can google them for further clarification on what they provide.
Your post revived my post of a few y ears ago, Thank you, now I can copy and paste it to a word document & save to share with other notaries. I’ve been looking for this info.
Here is a link to the Deadbeat Signing Companies face book group. Redirecting...
@susana You can also save it as a Favorite to your Bookmark Bar or other direct url link folder for future reference, too.
Many have benefitted from your post as I regularly reference it for all those who find themselves within this type of scenario. It’s a GREAT post! Thank You
So I’ve done two for Coast2Coast and it’s right at net 30. I’ve emailed them so we’ll see what happens. Hopefully I don’t have to send them your posting!
Do you have any advise on how to get My Mobile Closer to pay? I’d love to know what worked for you and/or others! @Notary.MS My email is leanym97@gmail.com.
It’s really unfortunate that we find ourselves having to chase after payments after doing a job well done.
Constant and persistent communication with a slow paying SS is what’s needed. When the payment due date has elapsed, send them an email with a past due invoice along with a follow-up phone call and or text message that payment is now past due and it is to be processed immediately.
Follow up with a phone call a few days later to confirm that payment is in fact on its way. Sometimes this will require numerous phone calls, text messages and emails in order for a slow paying SS to understand that payment is due immediately.
The last resort will be to either begin legal proceedings to obtain payment and or contacting the title company to advise them that the signing service they paid did not pay the notary. Usually this gets the ball rolling to receive payment. It can take days, weeks months and unfortunately a year before a payment will be made.
The key is to be firm, professional and diligent in seeking payment from a slow pay or no pay SS!
What has worked for me for the 19 years I’ve been in business is to never procrastinate. I’ll send out a “friendly reminder” the day it’s due (30 calendar days from date of service) and no later than 3 days after. Those are my terms. I do, however, work with a couple of signing services whose terms I’ve accepted from the onset – one pays the 5th of each month for previous month’s assignments; the other one pays “Anything signed the 1st thru the 15th is sent on the 10th of the following month; Anything signed the 16th thru the 30th is sent on the 30th of the following month.”
I send 1st reminder the first due date. If necessary, I’ll send another notice 3 days later. Using this method, I’ve always been paid almost immediately. Except for 2 assignments many years ago. Those 2 jobs were for Eleventh Hour Signing who had been a fairly good company until it wasn’t when they unexpectedly filed bankruptcy and left many NSAs unpaid.
The key to my relatively good A/R record is that I try to vet any hiring company requesting my services PRIOR to accommodating their signing.
I have also started vetting the companies prior to completing any work. This was beneficial a few months ago. I accepted an appointment from an unknown Signing company. After reading reviews for non-payment/late payments, I reached out to them to tell them since we have not established a professional relationship, and their reviews are not favorable, that they either needed to pay me in advance or remove me. They actually agreed to pay me after scans were provided. (I was prepared to hold the documents from shipping until payment was received.) They followed thru on their promise.
All well and good, but even if they eventually pay, that still doesn’t compensate us for all of the time, trouble, expense and aggravation that we spent trying to collect our fee.
!
