Hi Melina, This question is specifically for you as a signing service owner. You’re one of the few people I know who gives such valuable advice. I’ve noticed a recurring situation and was hoping you could provide some insight. It seems that whenever a signing is assigned, the signing service instructs us not to reschedule the appointment and to stick with the scheduled time. However, I’ve noticed that when I’m the one who can’t make the original appointment, the signing service often asks me to work with the borrower to find another time instead. For example, the first time this happened, I accepted a signing and completely forgot that my daughter was having minor surgery that same day. I called the signing service to let them know I wouldn’t be able to make the appointment. Instead of immediately reassigning the order, they asked if the surgery was in the morning and suggested that I contact the borrower to see if they could sign later that afternoon. The second time, the borrower needed to reschedule the appointment. I informed the signing service that I couldn’t accommodate the new date because I already had another signing scheduled. Again, they asked me to contact the borrower and see if we could find a later time that same day that would work for both of us. I’m just curious why this seems to be the approach. If the general guidance is not to reschedule appointments, why is the expectation different when the notary has a scheduling conflict? Is it simply because finding a qualified replacement notary on short notice can be difficult, or is there another reason behind it? I’d really appreciate your perspective.

Quick tip for fellow notaries: don’t just keep backup toner for your printer, keep a backup drum too. I learned this the hard way while printing 400+ pages for a signing. New toner, paper loaded, everything ready… then my Brother printer stopped because the DR-830 drum had reached the end of its life. A $100-ish part can hold up a $100+ signing. Hopefully this saves someone else from a late-night surprise. Hope you all have a great day! ❤️

Hi everyone! I'm the Post Quality Control girl at The Closing Signing Service. I wanted to share something that happened while I was reviewing a set of scanbacks. I came across a Wisconsin notary stamp that only had the notary's name, "Notary Public," and "State of Wisconsin." Since I'm used to seeing Florida stamps with a commission number and expiration date, I immediately thought something was missing. Before saying anything, I looked up Wisconsin's notary law... and I learned that their stamps don't require a commission number or expiration date. 😅 It was a good reminder that not every state follows the same rules. Sometimes what looks like a mistake is actually completely valid.

What was the biggest lesson you learned last month as a notary or signing agent? Maybe it was: •⁠ ⁠A lesson about communication •⁠ ⁠Something you caught in a loan package •⁠ ⁠A shipping or scanback challenge •⁠ ⁠A borrower interaction •⁠ ⁠Or a mistake that taught you something valuable Sometimes the lessons that help us grow the most come from real experiences in the field. Share your biggest takeaway!

We have a signing set for tomorrow at 7 AM Pacific. At first the notary did the right things. She called to confirm the appointment, she emailed us to request docs, she followed up 👏🏻 The escrow officer said they'd be uploaded during the day. We pushed too, all Sunday. At 5:28 PM she wrote: "Please remove me from this signing due to documents not being uploaded." At 6:03 PM, the documents came in. For a 7 AM appointment. About 12 hours of notice. And she still said no. It's now 9:20 PM Eastern and I'm STILL looking for a notary to cover this closing. I get it, we all want documents on time, and waiting on a weekend is frustrating. That part is real. But docs at 6 PM for a 7 AM signing is workable. You have the whole evening to print, review and prepare. Delays are part of this business, not the exception. And honestly? As a notary, I would rather earn my $100 than walk away with NOTHING simply because I don't feel like doing the transaction. What really gets me is the unfairness of it. So many new notaries are dying for assignments, ready to show up and do the work, while others turn down closings out of pure caprice. We are a team. The title company, the signing service, the notary, we are all moving the same transaction to the closing table. When one piece pulls out at the last minute over a delay that was already fixed, everyone scrambles. Reasonable flexibility is one of the most valuable things you can offer. It's what separates a vendor from a partner. The notaries I call first are not the cheapest or the closest. They are the ones who solve problems with me, instead of handing them back. Be that notary 💪🏻