So I did a signing where one of the signer’s names was misspelled throughout the packet. The signing was obtained directly from Title / Escrow, not through a service.
I called for direction while at the table, and was given the ok from both escrow and lender to line through, correct and initial - time was of the essence for funding purposes. So we completed the packet with all the corrections. 15 minutes after I left the table, my escrow client called back and said “how far in are you? Lender wants to re-draw.” Told her I was done and took her the papers back. She said she’d get in touch when re-draw was ready. Never happened. I inquired and she said she never heard back from the lender, possible the borrowers changed minds, or changed lenders. Also, I asked about if I’d get paid and she said if the loan didn’t get completed, nobody gets paid.
Question 1: WWYD with the journal entry? I’m in CA. Cross out and narrate that docs were destroyed / transaction cancelled?
Question 2: Keep in mind I REALLY like this Escrow Co and the agent and I have a great relationship. Our emails are full of “hey girl” and emojis. But not getting paid for completing the work rubs me wrong, as I’m sure it does her, but since she works in volume, and on a salary, she got paid either way in some form or another. Is it appropriate to ask her for the lender contact and go to THEM for at least partial payment? The fault is theirs, as I see it, since they ok’d corrections and THEN decided to re-draw. I still did like 2 hours worth of work and deserve payment, at least for the travel to and from. BUT, I don’t want to sour my relationship with her over one transaction, when she’s my bread and butter. So I guess, again, it’s just WWYD? Prior experiences with this circumstance? Is not getting paid just the standard thing? It’s my first time dealing with this particular situation.
That’s the downside of direct work…no fund/no pay. Only solution is to be charging enough on those that go thru to cover the rare one that doesn’t. As to WWYD…that’s totally your call as you said it’s your bread & butter co. Maybe try increasing your fee & see how that flies.
Oh, I’d just make a note that the transaction ‘cancelled/never funded’ in my journal as you still ‘completed the notarizations’.
You already got the approval (and didn’t need it) to complete the signing, and you completed it. Your owed the full fee, period.
If they want a resign, they need to double the fee or create a new order to cover the 2nd signing (resign) with the redrawn docs.
Making her your “bread and butter” is career suicide, and if you continue you’re a fool. I have multiple streams of income and never allow myself to get into the position where I would allow a SA or title company be able to dictate what I will accept for my time/effort. I turn away low ball work all the time. Expecting to make bank being a full time notary if you aren’t the preferred notary for a title company that shovels significant volume your way, or working for a law firm, you aren’t going to make it; you’re going to be eating Ramen noodles like a college kid. DIVERSIFY.
As for her stiffing you, once you get out from underneath your needing her, report her to the BBB and send her a letter demanding payment with a CC to a law firm, she’ll pay rather than have a PACER legal file opened on her company’s record. You’re an Independent Contractor, not an employee. You get paid if it funds or not.
You did the work, printed, signed and dropped off package. You found the error, reported it, asked for a solution- they gave it to you- you followed through. You Get Paid!
