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TGS1985
California
208 Posts |
 Posted - 11/21/2015 : 03:18:48 AM
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I got a phone call from a Brad Johnston at Stone Street Capital asking if I could perform a same-day cash settlement signing about 60 miles away in rural California. He tells me his signer is ready to sign as soon as possible, however I inform him I'm only available late evenings like my notary rotary profile states. He then explains that I'm the only notary that has bother to return his phone calls so he makes arrangements with the signer and offers me $200 to cover the addition travel.
I accept.
I inform him right away that my company has a strict net 30 day payment policy and that there will also be a non-refundable $75 travel fee once I leave for the appointment should the seller decide to cancel, not show, and/or refuse to sign.
He says he understands and accepts. I thank him for his understanding (as most companies wouldn't have) and assure him that it's only a percussion as in that last 5 years the total number of non-signings I've had I count on one hand (which is the truth). The only instructions he gives me is to make sure I call the signer once I arrive so that he can meet me outside for the signing as his house is a mess.
No problem.
So like with most signings I'm assigned (especially ones where the company agrees to a non-refundable travel/non-signing fee) I contact the signer to introduce myself and to confirm he'll have a valid ID for the notarization so that there isn't a wasted trip that ends up costing Stone Street $75.00 for nothing. In other words, I figure both myself and Stone Street Capital actually want the signing to happen...
This is when the signer informs me that he's currently looking at another settlement company who has offer him a better deal (what was that about the signer being ready to sign Brad?). I avoid saying ANYTHING regarding that to the signer and just confirm that if his signing with Stone Street goes through that he'll have a non-expired driver's license to use as ID.
At this point I text Brad to inform him of the situation not knowing if he was even aware that the signer was shopping around while explaining I'll make sure to confirm with the signer before I leave so that the travel fee can be avoided.
At this point Brad snaps at me asking why I called the signer in the first place as I was going to be paid no matter what and that I should only call when I had arrived. In which case, I reply explaining how surprised he'd be how many time signers DON'T have valid ID and that I want the signing to happen as much as he does (because $200 > $75 duh) and that most of my other clients actually appreciate the effort I take to make sure that happens (most other notaries I know would be happy with just $75.00 to simply drive two hours). That aside I tell him I'm more than happy not to call the signer again until I have arrived.
At this time I can't help but think to myself is Brad upset that I called the signer, or that I caught him red handed in a lie regarding the signer being "ready" to sign, even though I didn't say anything about it to him? In any case I'm starting to see major red flags...
A few hours later, I get a phone call from the signer who explains how he's with another notary and how upset he is with the poor job he/she and Stone Street have done in regards to his settlement. I explain that they must have hired another notary and that it's no longer in my hands.
I then get a text from brad saying that "No go, the signing is off". In which I reply that I already knew that because the signer just called me asking me why there’s another notary there and what a bad job they are doing, I then thank him for sparing me what sounds like a nightmare signing (which I can’t help but now feel he would probably NOT have paid for once it went south) while informing that I have block his number while sarcastically wishing him good luck with his settlement.
So TL;DR version...
Stone Street Financial hired me for a rural signing saying the signer is ready to sign asap.
They agree to a $75 non signing fee and a net 30 day payment period.
I call to confirm the signing and find out the signer isn't ready to sign at all and is even considering another settlement company.
I inform Stone Street of that information and they get upset at me (probably out of embarrassment) for catching them in a lie even though I didn't call them out on it. So they hire another notary and don't bother telling me until the last minute.
This would have made me irate years ago except it was crap like this that forced me to make notary signing a side gig. Now I can't help but smile and laugh because Brad's probably lost the settlement ruining his weekend where all I lost was a lunch break worth of communication and some extra spending cash... Oh not to mention I’ll still probably get work out of all this because I happen to hit it off with the signer on the phone enough so that he informed me he'll recommend me to the other settlement company if/when he's ready to sign with them.
So yeah, don't waste your time with this outfit or at least ask for payment up front… AND just in case they read this and want to go cry to Jeremy and retaliate by giving me a bad review, I’ll let it be known I have kept copies of both the emails and texting conversations.
- Tyler Soares -
Notary Public & Loan Signing Agent
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