How do you handle corrections needed in light of a new scheduled signing?
About a month ago, I did a signing for First Class Signing. The job was a refi involving a trust with the trustees being the parents of the wife and the drive was an hour each way. I flagged all of the documents prior to the appointment and took my time with it to make sure that there were no mistakes even to the point of going through the entire package, page by page before leaving the signing table so I was confident that I had not missed anything.
A week or so ago I was notified that there was a correction that needed to be made “immediately” but I already had a signing scheduled, in fact I was on my way when I received the message. I called the scheduler at First Class right away to see how we could do this. I would be in that location the next day for another signing and could fit the corrections in around that. She said that was fine and I set about coordinating a time when everyone would be available within my schedule. As soon as I got home I downloaded the document that needed to be corrected but, when I saw it, I noticed that the correction was not actually something that I missed the first time. The original document had a line with the daughter’s name beneath it, with no trust verbiage and line for each of her parents with the trust verbiage. The new document did not have the wife’s name but did have both parents with trust verbiage. The instructions were, “need resigning with trustees only”. I understood this to mean that only the parents as trustees of the trust signing. The scheduler at First Class Signing instructed me to have the parents sign with “a comma and the trustee after each of their names”. Not wanting to get it wrong, I requested verification from the lender so she conferenced her lender contact to our conversation. She explained my question but did not let the lender know that I was on the line. The lenders’ response was, “Oh, she’s a -bleeping- idiot!”. The scheduler informed her that I was on the line and, when she heard my gasp of shock, she began to backtrack saying that she wasn’t sure and she would have to call her back. I spoke up at and said that what she needed to do was find someone in that city to “run on over” and get the corrections made because I would not be going.
I am a perfectionist and hate to make mistakes but I know that I am not perfect and mistakes will happen. After all, I failed the Walking on Water class. I figured that I would not get paid for the initial signing but was greatly surprised with I received a check for the full amount. I can’t think of any other way that I could have handled it.
@slkastrava, I had a similar situation, where the SS called me about a resign on a DOT as a correction had to be made and a new DOT reprinted, because the Title company had messed up on the first DOT. I was glad to do it for an additional $125.00. My offer was accepted and I called borrowers to schedule a time and day.
Bottom line if it’s not your error in the first place you can ask for more compensation If it had been your error then yes you would make the correction by going back to borrowers on your time and do it without extra compensation.
If it is my mistake, I will do whatever is required to make it right but this just wasn’t. If the lie had not been there with the daughters name printed below it, I would not have had her sign it. The fact that it was missing from the second copy of the doc, indicated to me that it should not have been there in the first place. The lender insisted that it was my mistake and would not pay for the extra trip. On top of that, they were demanding that I drop everything and do it right then, even suggesting that I reschedule my conflicting appointment. How do you handle it when they make such demands?
With what you stated it was reprinted differently and how was it your mistake? It would be titles mistake. If you were provided a document one way and had it signed accordingly then it’s not your mistake. You are not an attorney or title escrow officer, therefore how could you have known the document was printed incorrectly. Let’s just say you knew but you are not legally suppose to advise the borrowers. The mistake looks like whoever drew up docs,
You are an NSA facilitating the signing dating and notarization of the documents, and making sure they get delivered back to the Title company or lender. Per instructions.
I think I would not have had them verify with Lender - you had your instructions from hiring party get it in writing and follow that - if it’s still wrong it’s on them.
I would have done the re-assignment - providing they were willing to pay me since it wasn’t my mistake; if they argued about a fee I’d have pointed out this was their mistake, not mine - and I had the docs to prove it (all said very politely of course).
Other than kicking it back I think you handled it well. Since they paid your full fee they know it was their mistake (or title’s or Lender’s) and not yours.
That is the first rule: Make sure the error was yours if you are going to have to fix a correction. Otherwise, request payment for fixing the error or omission of a document. I had a borrower call me and state that the Lender called her and said she was missing an affidavit. I thought she was going to say it was something I missed. However, it was an additional form that was required. The Lender did not give the borrower any instruction on how to get the form. I told the borrower to google the form because it could be a standard form. She found out that it was and she filled it out and submitted it. That advice was free of charge.
The signing agency indicated that escrow was not willing to pay me for the second trip so I would’ve doing it gratis. That’s why I was trying to fit it in with my signing the next day
The signing agency was willing to work with me on that but escrow refused. Lesson learned.
