Recently I wrote about a closing I did more than 90 miles away in Rocky Ford. Although the closing went smoothly, getting there wasn't without its problems. So I decided to write another post on some of the problems of doing a long distance closing assignment, or a closing in a remote area.
Cell phone coverage
I was making good time on the highway, when all of a sudden I saw a police car racing down the road with its lights flashing. At first I thought the officer was going after someone who was speeding. It turned out to be an accident. One of the first things I did was grab my cell phone to call the borrowers. I wasn't running late at the time, but I wanted to call to let them know that there was an accident, and that I was on my way -- just in case I was late. But I received no signal.
This could have been a problem if I needed roadside assistance. How do you call AAA?
I carry 2 cell phones whenever I travel to remote areas. Sometimes you can make a call with one, and not the other, if you have two different service providers. I'm looking into some other options as well, since we have a lot of remote areas in Colorado.
The borrower refuses to sign
Last year I got a call to do a structured settlement for a man in Pueblo -- more than 40 miles away. It was on a Saturday morning. I confirmed the appointment with him on Friday, and everything seemed in order. I gave him my cell phone number, just in case he needed to reach me. Giving my cell phone number to the borrower is something I do, even if the closing is 2 blocks away. When I got there, the borrower let me into the house, then said almost immediately that he was having second thoughts and didn't want to sign the papers. My first thought was, he could have called me and saved me the trouble. I have better things to do on a Saturday morning than drive more than 40 miles to Pueblo -- for nothing.
Actually, it wasn't for nothing. The company agreed to pay me the full fee. But will all companies do that? This is something a notary signing agent needs to work out with the company in advance. What will the fee be, if the borrower refuses to sign, or if the borrower isn't there? We have to consider what business we could have gotten during that time that we were a long way from our base.
Changes in the loan documents
Surely it has happened to more signing agents than just me. You get to the closing and there is a problem with the HUD Settlement Statement. The title company tells you that they can send over a revised one. But how do you do any computing if you're in a remote location?
This is an individual preference, and not all notary signing agents want to make the investment. But a mobile office is the solution. Anything that you can do in your office, you can do on the road. And if you get a call to do a closing while you're away, you can still do it without having to return back to your office.
The borrower can't provide a photocopy of their ID
A digital camera comes in handy when the borrower tells you that they weren't able to make photocopies of their ID. If they're living in a remote location, you can understand why. So I'm able to make a photo of their ID with my camera.
Any other problems associated with long distance closing assignments are usually the kinds of problems that all motorists should be prepared for (i.e. having enough fuel, etc.).
When I first started as a notary signing agent, I would hesitate to travel long distances to do a closing. It was mostly from my inexperience. But now I welcome the challenge and the opportunity.
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