Winter decisions 🏂🏽☃️

well Here’s the time for me to answer the question: should I
take off during the snow season? I had a situation last year in February
where my car got stuck in the snow of someones long driveway
and both my insurance and m-dot said they wouldn’t be there for at
least 48 hrs. Thankfully the signer helped me shovel my car out of the snow.
What are your thoughts about winter fellow notaries? New York is having
quite a time.

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Instead of temporary shutdown, I would recommend raise your fees to the max in the winter and just give back orders a day before if weather forecast shows road conditions are unsafe to drive.

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This will be my first winter here in Pennsylvania as a signing agent. I still rely on services like snapdocs and signingorder for most of my work as I just do this in my spare time when not watching my grandbabies. That said, I don’t rely on my income for our household. I’m trying to get back in the habit of watching the weather and try to not take assignments when I know we are expecting a storm. That said though, PA snows are so unpredictable. They tell us 6 inches and we get one. They tell us a dusting and get 10 inches.

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I really like that idea since I’m guessing most other notaries will either not be working or will only go so far from their house\office thanks :slightly_smiling_face:

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Yeah I’m in Michigan, where the weather may also be unpredictable. I’m going to let signers know that if I have a problem getting to them I will meet them at the closest Fedex or coffee shop and they can figure it out from there.

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That sounds great. Just make sure to clear all changes with the hiring party so you don’t get your fingers smacked for changing locations.

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You got it!!!:+1::+1::+1::+1:

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4 wheel drive truck.

sounds good, but how’s the gas mileage??

Im in denver where the weather doesnt always happen as predicted. A few years ago, i slid off an icy road in the mountains and totaled my car. It was a very big 3 ton 4 wheel drive which is just a bigger thing to slide on ice.
I very rarely accept assignments in the mountains now. Luckily, i have an office just off a main road to the mountains. Usually, they find some other person to forge through the ice and snow, but i offer the alternative of them coming to me. I figure grocery stores dont deliver, so neither do i. Private roads are the worst.

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wow thank God you survived . I will definately take precaution, mountainous roads are no joke.

Thank you. It was a gentle slide into a dirt embankment. My cell would not work, but had a free standing GPS. Had to call through 911. Took 3.5 hours of me at a 35° angle trying to stay upright in the seat. My insurance with the towing, reached through 911, kept trying to collect an accident report! 4 calls kept getting cut off and they dispateched to tows in tbe city who, of course, tried to call me back - no cell service, remember? Duh. Finally very nice 911 gal found a tow service right in the area. Area maintained their own roads somehow did not sand this one. It was a cash cow for the tow company. Cost $500. Im an old lady, temp dropped to 10 and this seemed something from a marx brothers movie. Thank heaven for the 911 lady. Glad i did not have that extra cup of coffee before i left home.

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Oh my gosh :exploding_head: :hushed: :cold_face: :open_mouth: I hope people realize and appreciate some of the things we go through to get the signing done.

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Hi @jennjoneis , being Winter is North Dakotas longest season of the year I have no choice but to “plow” through it. I have an All Wheel Drive Yukon and can usually make it to any appointment HOWEVER that does not mean that I am willing to go to any appointment. I turn down a lot of work because I’m not leaving my office for less that $125. PERIOD!

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amen to the not leaving for less than $125. Title companies and notary companies should know that we are taking a risk at this time of the year leaving our houses

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Invest in a good shovel and a bag of salt if you have the space. Don’t lose out on money during the winter months because it may not be super bad. Like others said, raise your rates during those months or ensure you check the weekly forecast so you can negotiate higher rates during winter weather.

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we are the winter troopers. I guess somebody has to work :wink:

I disagree! “Giving back” orders is cancelling a commitment one made. Do that a few times and you wont receive orders from that company again! Why would you suggest this to anyone?

From my experience if you give back within one day before closing you should not have a problem but no need to take up on my suggestions.