Friday is here again. Yesterday I had two closings and a witness only which was scheduled around 4:00 in the afternoon with a couple in Thomaston for 7:00. We were promised the package by 5:30, but by the time 7:00 o'clock rolled around the package was still not here. Meanwhile, Cindy was hungry at home and she wanted me to get her something to eat and come spend some time with her before my closing in Thomaston. All in all, not an unreasonable request.
I had tried to contact the borrowers at 5:30, when the transmittal was sent to us by email, but had no luck. Finally, I received a call from the wife and I informed her that we didn't have the documents and that we didn't appear to have any hope of receiving them in time to get the package together for a 7:00 o'clock closing. I suggested that since time was running out, it might be reasonable to choose an alternative time for the closing at some other time over the weekend. She was adamant that we needed to close last night. Her schedule would not allow for a closing at any time other than Thursday, December 13th. She informed me that her loan officer had promised we would have the documents by 3:00. I responded that we hadn't even received the request for the closing until 4:00.
As I sat around the office waiting for the closing package to arrive, I had several conversations with the wife about the status of the loan and the reasonability of closing last night. I really wanted to try to close later. She would have none of it. So, I informed her that I was letting my secretary go home and that I was going to get supper for my wife and that I would return to the office to wait for the package. I further informed her that I would need at least thirty minutes to download the package once it arrived and that it would take about thirty minutes to drive down to Thomaston. She seemed fine with that.
So I left the office and ran my errands and spent some time with my darling wife, until it was time to return to the office. When I returned to the office, the package had been sent (about ten minutes earlier) and I began to try to download the package. I had to contact the lenders for assistance in opening the package. In the meantime, I received a call from the lender informing me that the borrower had contacted them because I had not called in the last minutes to verify the closing.
As I watched the paper run through and out of the printer, I called the borrower and informed her that the package was here, that it was slowly downloading off my computer and that I would arrange to leave for Thomaston and the closing as soon as the documents were downloaded and placed in order.
That would ultimately take about forty five minutes. I pulled the documents off of the printer and walked down to the conference room where I could place them in order and arrange the borrower's package. I finally completed the task and took the file down to my car and headed down to Thomaston.
Forty minutes later, I called the borrowers from the center of downtown Thomaston and finally arrived at their home at around 9:30. The last few miles, spent driving in the dark, squinting at the street signs, trying to find their street and then their address, was the longer ten minutes of the trip.
As I entered their home, I tried to review the documents with the borrowers in a slow, business-like manner, without any hoopla or energy. I had no energy. The husband was effusive and energetic, trying to show his agreement with the process. The wife was stone-faced and still, watching the stack of papers go from file to husband to wife and back to file again.
We finally finished the process around 10:00. I quietly apologized for any terseness in my manner. I left and faded into the darkness of the December night in Upson County. It was 10:30 before I arrived back home.
I suppose it was worth it. I will be paid, not handsomely, for my efforts. I was promised an additional amount for the hassle. I would have preferred to stay at home with Cindy.
Kate comes home this morning. Tonight we drive to Dunwoody to celebrate my birthday.
This morning is quiet. Thank goodness.
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