Now That You Have the Signing…Part II

When you Arrive at the Signing: 

1. As you approach the door, double check the address and confirm the names on your Confirmation. Then…Knock on the Door – Ring the Bell – that is the hardest part of your first Signing. Once you do that, it’s all down hill.
2. Ask for your Signer(s) by name. Introduce Yourself. This part is easy, be friendly, smile, shake hands and determine where they would like to sign.
   1. Please have a strong, smooth handshake. Nothing is worse than encountering someone with a wimpy, weak, limp like a dead fish handshake. Practice if you must, but at least in Texas, you will be judged by your handshake and this is a big part of your only shot at making a good first impression.  
   2. COVID presented an entirely new set of options.  I completed Signings in garages, on porches, on the layed-down gate of a pick-up truck and even on TV trays in the driveway.  These days, you will likely be invited inside, and the Signers will already know where they want to sit, but this doesn’t mean that the Signers are in charge.

This is your Signing.  You are in control.  This Signing might be on their behalf, but make no mistake, it is yours.  It’s always best to ask before shifting items, like place mats, mail, crumbs or anything else that might find its way onto a table or bar, but if they are in the way, shift them – ask first.  The same goes if there is a TV in the background or music that is too loud.  If it is a distraction, ask whether the volume can be turned down or if it can be turned off.  You don’t have to be rude; you can simply say something to the effect of ‘the TV is a little loud…’ I rarely need to say anything else…the Signer will understand.  If there are multiple Signers, they will sometimes ask how you want them seated; tell them.  If they don’t ask, tell them anyway.  If I am conducting a Signing for 2 people, I like them to be seated on the same side of me vs one on either side or even better, across from me.  That’s me, you do you.

• Unpack – Only unpack those items you need.  Figure out where to set or lay your bag and arrange things as you want.
• Silence your phone
• Check ID(s) – Go back to your training here. This is also the perfect opportunity to snag a copy, if they made one, or ask if they are OK with you taking a picture. Be prepared to explain if they balk or question.
• Complete Your Notary Journal – The Jeff Process says that I want my Notary Journal completed and Signed before I present the first document.
• I think it important to put your Signer(s) at ease, especially if it is a thick package. I usually say something about, this is our stack or this is what we are working with today, it is not as daunting as it might seem and I will do my best to make this as easy and painless as possible. This helps put your Signer(s) at ease and establishes yourself as in control – in charge.
• Now, do your thing – rely on your training and Introduce Documents and Acquire Signatures and / or Initials and Deliver Oaths / Affirmations as Appropriate – The Jeff Process requires that every document be introduced.  You should have a brief – 3 to 5 second – ish description of each document.  You only need to provide the gist of a document and then direct the Signer(s) where to sign.  You should also be familiar enough with the document to answer any question or direct them to an answer on that or any other document. Be careful here, you are not an attorney, or probably not an attorney and you should not answer any questions that might be considered or could be considered as ‘giving legal advice’. If you can point them to an aswer, great. If you cannot, add it to your list of questions to ask after the closing when you can reach out to your Signing Agency or Title company.
• Double Check Your Work – After the last document has been signed, I always ask the Signer(s) to give me a couple of minutes to walk through the documents to be sure that I have not missed anything.  Go back to your training so you know what to look for.
• Answer Questions – You can ask more than once, but always ask at least once whether the Signer(s) has any questions for you.  If they do, answer them, or direct them to the answers when you can. Experience will tell you what questions you can and cannot answer and when it is best to refer to a document and point to the answer. Avoid offering opinions or advice, though sometimes advice is what’s called for – especially for 1st Time Homebuyers. Again, be careful to not offer legal advice and don’t be afraid to say you don’t know or suggest that that is a great question for – insert party here – their Realtor, the Escrow Officer, Builder, County Records Office, HOA, etc., etc., etc.
• Close the Signing / Hand off the Signer’s Copy
• Pack Up – There is no reason to dawdle, but there is no reason to make like you’re trying to escape a fire either.  Pack up everything you unpacked earlier except for the Signer(s) copy.
• Wish the Signer(s) a Great Day, maybe congratulate them on their Sale or Purchase and then shake their hand(s) again, say goodbye and then leave.
• Complete your Completion Report – I prefer to pull away and find a place to pull over nearby to fill out my Completion Report.  Where you do it is up to you, but just remember to do it. If this Signing is for an SA, then as part of my process, I always note, in my Completion Report, how long it will be before I am able to complete any necessary Scanbacks. If this is for a Title Company and I am delivering docs, how long before I can deliver docs. This avoids the SA or Title Company from wondering or feeling the need to reach out. I would like to believe that they appreciate this little touch.
• Complete any Scanbacks, if necessary. Scanbacks are so important and failing to do them can cause upset and even a reduction in your fee. Just do them and do them in a timely manner – see your Confirmation for specifics.
• Drop for Shipping – Some Signing Agencies and Title Companies require that you wait for them to give you an OK to drop the documents for shipping.  Check your confirmation and / or any additional instructions.  If you are not sure, ask.

This is a big part of the Jeff Process.  Do not be afraid to ask a question.  I would always rather be safe than sorry – to my mind, the only dumb question is the one not asked.  You should have contact information for whomever provided you with the Signing.  If you have any questions while working through the documents or any questions at the table that you cannot answer or direct to an answer, make the call.  If your questions come while you are working through the documents, wait until you are done, make notes, whatever it takes, but 1 call is better than 2 or 3.  If you are still with the Signers at the table, it is best to wait until the end of the Signing so that you can make just 1 phone call, but that is not always possible.  If your first document is the Settlement Statement or Closing Disclosure and the Signers think the numbers are wrong, stop and make that phone call.  If the Signer asks a question that you cannot answer, offer to offset that document and collect any other questions they may have and make one phone call at the end.  Eventually, experience will guide you.

Dropping Documents:  Whether or not Scanbacks are required, you will be required to deliver documents to the Title Company or drop them with Fed Ex or UPS.  If you drop documents at the Title Company, leave them with the receptionist or whomever is at the front desk.  Be sure to tell them who the documents are for (and / or which Escrow Officer) and leave.  Do not expect to meet the Escrow Officer.  If they want to meet you, they will let you know or leave word with reception. 

Learn where your local Fed Ex and UPS locations are…the store fronts, not the drop-boxes or the off-site locations.  It is always preferred to pass documents off – packed in an official Fed Ex or UPS envelope – to a live person at Fed Ex or UPS store front and get a receipt.  That receipt is your proof that you completed your task.  Occasionally, someone will ask for a copy of that receipt and at least one SA asks that you upload that copy as a part of their requirements.  Hang on to that receipt for a few days, then you can toss it or shred it.  Also, know their ‘last call’ times.  If you have a request for a late Signing, you need to know whether you can make that last drop.  If not, speak up. 

When to Drop:  Some Notaries hang onto all their packages and make one stop at the end of their day.  Others make multiple trips per day.  I am a multiple tripper kind of guy.  Do what works best for you but watch your cut off times.  The closest Fed Ex office to me has a 6 00 PM “last call”, another, a few miles away, has a 7 00 PM “last call”.  There are 2 other locations with an 8 00 PM and one about 35 or 40  minutes away with a 10 00 PM.  I try never to go there, but I have missed “last call” before and had to.  It was totally my fault and I had to suck it up and make the drive.  Every UPS store front around here has a 6 00 PM “last call”.  If I miss that, I am S.O.L.

After all that, you’re done. Woohoo!

I usually place my Confirmation in a stacker tray and then once or twice a week, go through them and create invoices (in my QuickBooks) and if necessary, send the invoice to whomever, SA or Title. If doing work directly for a Title Company, they may want an invoice with the package or shortly after. If an SA, some don’t require an invoice, some want it within a few days, some don’t specify and one even specifies that you should send it 72 hours after the Signing is complete. Just be aware.