A loan officer contacts me and says that he wants to pay a lender from another company who has referred a deal to him.  I push my keyboard away and listen.  He says that he got a referral from a lender in California.  That lender isn't licensed in Illinois and my loan officer was told that he could and should pay the referrer. 

While I'm a still a semi-young buck, I look to him....rubbing the stubble on my newly shaved summer crew cut, and pause.....  This young "grasshoppa" has a lot to learn about lending."  This guy is as honest as they come, but I can't believe he's asking this question.  I think to myself...."he really doesn't know, does he?"

TWO PARTS TO THIS POST!

FIRST

I'm thinking to myself, this guy either:

• Didn't pay attention to this part of the licensing instruction;
• Didn't study or was asked questions about this when he went through the licensing part of the test; or
• Forgot what he learned.....
• Lost all of his brains when he got his first commission check.

I'm not concerned about my guy really.  He asks questions all the time, is a hard worker, and never wants to take advantage of anyone.  He freaks about "not doing the right thing."  Don't get me wrong.  I told him that he's one toilet flush away from going down the career tube, but I feel that it's a one and done with him. 

I tell him that paying a referral fee to another loan officer would actually be a crime and that he'd lose his license.....as would the idiot who's been in the business forever who told him that that it was OK and that he needed to be paid by him.  So, as a big shot attorney (at least in my own mind), I tell him about "abandonment". 

FOR EXAMPLE, I'm going to rob your house with three friends.  We've been planning it for 3 days, 3 weeks, or 3 years. I get in the car to drive to your house, but as soon as I get in the car, I say to myself, "I can't and I won't."  I get out of the car, go home, have a beer watch TV and go enroll in the seminary.  I tell my friends to "F-off" just for good measure.  That's abandonment (not the "F-off part).  No crime was committed.  You walked away prior to the crime. 

Forget the whole issue of intent.  We'll save that for another lesson in law, but he abandoned the crime prior to committing it.  As I told him, just because you did something stupid (agreeing to pay for what you legally can't pay for) doesn't mean you have to do something more stupid and fully consummate complete stupidity.  Sure the idiot will be pissed.  But I'd rather piss someone off than being a bunk mate in cell block 25350. 

SECONDLY,

I tell my guy, let him get pissed.  What's he going to do?  Contact the authorities and say:

 "Hey, I was going to commit a crime with this guy and now he won't play by the rules of our agreement?"

I told him...let him call Obama, Blagojevich, the State's Attorney, District Attorney or whomever.  Just tell him that you're done, but when you have the opportunity to refer a deal in California, that you will without expecting compensation.  Easy, Easy, Easy! 

Well, Life is like a box of chocolates....you'll never know what you'll get until you take a bite.  My guy writes this dude and calls him and tells him:

• Dude...I was asking my boss how to work it through payroll and he said;
• Don't do it, it's a crime; so I'm not gonna.  I don't want either of us to lose our licenses; but
• When I get a deal in California, I'll refer it to you.

This piece of chocolate stinks on the inside.  He raises hell about not getting paid even though he knows that it's illegal.  I feel bad for my guy.  Great heart, asks all the question, but was a bit naive about lending, jail cells and bunk mates.  If my guy was a crook, he wouldn't ask.  Stupid?  Perhaps, but I think he just had a bad mentor a bit earlier in his career.

Finally, Mr. Pee Pants (that's what I call him for his incessant whining) himself contacts me asking for his money.  I tell Pee Pants to quit whining (and peeing in his pants) about being kept from the feds, group showers and half way houses. 

By the way, the compensation that he wanted was $300.

So you gotta ask the question

....are you willing to give your license and livelihood away for $300? 

I think not.  Remember, just because you did one thing really stupid, it doesn't mean that you have to follow it up with something even more stupid.