The issue isn’t that our pay doesn’t continually increase. The problem is that (for me, at least) the offers that I’m getting are essentially the same as they were when I started in this business 11 years ago, but expenses are continually rising. I try to improve my situation by only working when the job meets my requirements for both pay and logistics. I ignore job offers that I might have taken years ago. We all have control over our situation.
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@steves11 & ALL NOTARY CAFE MEMBERS:
FYI
A few germane details about JOT!
===>>> First American is NOT explicitly stated as a direct owner of Jot.
As such, it would be inaccurate to make a statement conveying that as if it was a truthful fact, which it’s definitively not expressed as an owner.
There’s a complicated web of naming & relationships though . . .
Jot is one of the new “Signing Services” [SSs] that is a direct dedicated platform (JOT) created within the corporate structure of First American Financial Corporation with copyright to Endpoint Technologies, LLC (subsidiary of First American).
According to Google AI:
“Endpoint Technologies, LLC is backed by and is a subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (Endpoint Unveils Solutions to Support Proptech Companies and Investors Searching for a Scalable Digital Closing Platform | First American). While not explicitly stated as a direct owner, First American’s involvement is significant.”
SEEKING MORE INFO?
Review this thread!
Yeah I reply with higher pay, and they can take over a month to pay you.
Well said! I totally agree with you.
What is an example of an “acceptable” counter offer?
What is a reasonable charge for winter driving?
My point is does anyone get enough work they can just ignore platforms? That’s what I wonder.
In my area, it just depends. If there is a winter storm watch on first I have to decide if I am going out there. I don’t always. Ice is way different than snow, But in the past I have added as much as $200 to a counter offer and said “it’s a winter watch active winter storm situation” It just depends on the day. I once did a job in a county at a mountain pass and it was clear when I left for the job and snowing when I got to the pass so I keep a weather update on my phone and in the winter I check the weather before I counter offer. An hour drive can turn into way more than that. And there are areas I go into in the winter where I have to ask the signer is your driveway cleared? Because they’re in the middle of nowhere and if they don’t clear it themselves it won’t be cleared.
I think my fees page says $50 for inclement weather but that’s for local work in county. Outside the area I’ve added up to $250. It just depends. No job is worth ending up off the road. I have good tires and all wheel drive and not much bothers me. But it can get hairy and same day shipping? In this region next day air can turn into 2 day delivery because periodically the planes get grounded if it’s icy enough,
I’m sure that signing agents who have established relationships with title companies can avoid going through signing services. What I’m finding, though, is that it doesn’t necessarily guarantee you better fees. Some title companies will still offer low fees, as they know what the signing services are paying and figure that they can get a discount by offering notaries a little bit more than signing services but still less than full fee.
I get some title officers who give me work but many title companies are feeling the pinch too and have gotten rid of full time schedulers. I get direct calls from some schedulers but those schedulers work for 3rd parties as well. Several local title offices have asked for my card and that has resulted in work as well. I have a good friend who worked with a builder and got all that work at great fees and when that subdivision was sold out - there she was not working. I have done a lot of marketing work to get the direct business but most business comes through the platform program. I did a local job Sunday because the fee was so huge and the signer told me the title company didn’t know if they’d find someone on a Sunday. Found out the order was not sent platform wide. I don’t have Sunday marked as a work day so the escrow lady took a chance that I would take it apparently. We do what we can. It’s only been six years. I feel like there are some companies who have a preference. But at the end of the day they will go with who is available.
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Have you gotten any jobs? They are the BEST!
They are being unrealistic if they think that can just call whenever they want and on a moment’s notice, you’ll be available to take a last minute signing. I’m not as busy as some signing agents but if a scheduler calls me and asks me to take a same day signing, there’s a pretty good chance that I won’t be available……especially if they call late in the afternoon. Once I feel like I’m “done for the day”, it would take a pretty good offer to get me back into work mode.
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yeah once the suit comes off and the wig off, peeling me off my couch is a hard task that requires hard money
I ran into something this past week and I’m still a quite a bit peeved. A regular title company that I deal with has initiated an “On the board” signing. They haven’t got a clue when/if the paperwork will be ready, yet they want to assign the closing. Cancellation after cancellation. You guys know where this is going but there’s another twist. Just last week, they had me scheduled for 2 closings late Monday afternoon and early evening. Another lawyer that I deal with and another signing company requested me during the same time frame. I had to decline as I was already scheduled with this title company. Yeah, the title company cancelled both at the last minute. BOTH! Ok, that was one hit that really aggravated me but then one closing rescheduled. It was for Friday evening AFTER FedEx pickups in this entire area. The closest pickup to the actual client would not be picking up until Monday which meant a one-day delay in delivery to title. (No big deal around here as FedEx loses and delays more packages than it delivers on time). I explain that it would be an hour drive to drop the package for delivery on Monday and we needed to discuss the one-day delay or I would need to request additional funds. The response…”So we will hire a different notary.” As if a different notary wouldn’t have the same shipping issues??? Well, I bit the bullet, made the extra mileage to ship the package for Monday delivery and removed them from my “favorites” list. I’m proud of myself for not telling them exactly what I was thinking. I had lost $450 from other signings because of their cancellation. I’m sorry but if they want us on retainer then they need to pay.
I feel there should be a charge for cancellations (period).
I’m getting a response that they can work in the travel fee somewhere down the line. I personally will not accept it at this point.
Yes, I’m still furious!
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Same day doesn’t bother me. I dread the upcoming time change. I dislike working at night.
Same day doesn’t necessarily bother me either, depending on the time of day and location. If they call me in the morning for an afternoon signing, I’m fine with that. If they call late in the afternoon, with an ASAP or evening signing, that’s another story. For one thing, I rarely take signings that begin after dark. I don’t like looking for addresses at night, in neighborhoods that are not familiar to me.
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And that’s exactly what I do.
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