Wow, no one can top that sh*t show. Don’t tell me this was your first signing…if so, find a different career. It will now take 6+ signs to cover those costs, after that, profit in the bank. Great story, hopefully awards for that story are given, on this forum.
Not my first Signing not even my first year. Sometimes things happen. I fixed my headlights the next morning, and hopefully the judge will dismiss it.
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I’m in California, near Lake Tahoe. I often decline assignments if they’re on a hill where it might snow, or if it’s slippery and dark at night—regardless of the pay!
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Im old, and even though the cataracts are gone, i still dont see great in the dark. Im picky about where i will end up in the dark. I also wont do mountains at all. Used to have an office (real estate) that was easily accessable for the mountains. It closed, so now i need a new one. If you decide you want to move away from civilization, you can come back to it to close!! Sometimes, there are offices you can rent by the hour that might be better for everyone. Dont put your safety at risk. Also the bank, if its daytime hours, or the title company.
Sorry that was such an awful day for you
After 41 years of driving for business and traveling alone cross country, there are several things i carry. A fold up army shovel, a pair of work gloves. An old fashioned bag of kitty litter. A small tool bag with screwdrivers, plyers, adjustable wrench. etc. 2 additional headlights bulbs. Not always easy on the road, nut in a pinch. And an emergenvy kit with flashers ----. Make sure you know how to change your headlights, just in case. I also i make sure to occasionally pull up to a glass window to make sure my lights work. Have AAA!
Ive been single for 35 years and 3 before that. Had to learn stuff.
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I bet we could create a new forum on all the stories we have to share on this topic along with all of the places we have driven that were to homes that were labeled inaccessible to the public (who knew). The last time I had something like this happen I was just before the Narrows Bridge exit when someone slowed down to point at me. I thought nothing of it living in Tacoma. As soon as I drove onto the bridge, steam started rolling out of my hood. Long story short, my Friday night was a 2-hour wait for a tow truck to fix my radiator. This is the only major problem I’ve had with my Kia at 180K and thankful all the same. Parked dangerously on the side of the road where there was barely enough room to park safely, I breathed a sigh of relief that I lived to see another day. I had just purchased another car (electric) 2 days previously, which I had plugged in before jumping in my Kia to get to me to Gig Harbor for the last appointment of the day. The electric car comes with its own stories LOL! So happy that you are still in good health and thank you for sharing. Long live AAA!
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Sounds pretty shitty. I’m glad you were safe not having headlights could have been very dangerous.
what a dumpster fire of a day you had!! So Sorry! It’ll get better – it HAS to! 
I’ve stopped doing signings in what I still refer to as BFE. Even when Title asks, “what fee would you like to go that far”. It’s winter and it can be great weather at my house but once I get onto a country road, it might be drifted shut.
While 2024 was great for my business, I’m not in the position where my bills won’t be paid if I miss that assignment. I’ll let those who need the money more than I do risk that drive.
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Oh man! That’s such a cruddy situation!
You seem to be in a similar area as me. A good chunk of my signings are way out in the boonies because we have more cows than people here. Every town is about 20-30 minutes from each other. I’m located in the western South Dakota but frequently travel to the northern or central part of the state. EVERY time I do, I hit a critter of some kind or slam the brakes multiple times, no matter what time of day. Heck! I’ve done a closing in a corn field next to a combine during harvest of 2023. I take those long or difficult signings because they will pay me for the trouble.
The worst one was December 12, 2024. I did a quick refinance at a hotel in Deadwood, SD (yes, it’s real, not just on HBO 
) an hour away for a guy that was traveling for work. I was driving home on the interstate and hit a 10 point buck going 78 miles per hour. Parts exploded everywhere and the radiator shoved up into the engine. Instantly totaled! Over $8k in damage without pricing the small parts or an engine. Killed the dang deer and it serves him right!
I’ve driven in some very sketchy winter situations too. I went into the mountains by Devils Tower, WY on 12/31/2024 after they got about a foot of snow (with the replacement Equinox) and went into the ditch going 25 mph… I drove back out but scraped my valance.
Last week, I had to go into the WY mountains again after it snowed 2 feet. That was an adventure!! They had 4 foot drifts across their long driveway! The plan was to walk the driveway in bibs and boots with the mortgage in a backpack, but luckily the county plow came through 10 minutes before I got there and made a still sketchy path.
I document those adventures and post them to my instagram page. @sodaknotary if you want to check it out!
Good luck out there!
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I hope the judge has a tender heart for mobile notaries. What a day, when troubles start, the come in legion. It has been a very slow month and I’ve been taking after dark assignments. Every time I do that I am mad at myself and consider myself very fortunate if I don’t have some sort of mishap. Much of the territory I cover is mountainous with private roads. Some of those ups and downs are blind and more adrenaline pumping that first class roller coasters. You don’t have to board a rollercoaster but unless the signer warns me, I am many times heading out for potential trouble.
We had a tow in November when my brother hydro-planed off the highway. Triple A wouldn’t come out and the Highway Patrol insisted it was pulled off the embankment. There was zero chance of obstruction traffic at 11 PM and if we were able to wait until morning it might have been more affordable. The tow driver billed me $1050. Triple A did not reimburse because the tags were expired. I had to jump through two sets of hoops before they told me that. I don’t think I earned $1050 that day or even that week. My brother should have gone home but was pressured to complete a scan. Terrible experience but it could have been worse.
Oh wow, I now consider myself lucky. That sounds terrible!
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