Today has been a very bad day for us. We have really hit rock bottom with this mortgage verifcation document. Hours and hours on the phone, waiting, and still don't have this in our hands. The option of adding the mortgage info. to our county asessor document is a no go. The county won't notarize it with that info. on it. Steve hit a breaking point and was in tears as he left there. I was sobbing earlier in the day after being on the phone with them and getting nowhere.
Then I was on the phone with mortgage company later this afternoon trying to find a supervisor who could update me. I faxed a document to them last Friday, showing them exactly what we need. We actually scanned and altered one of their previous letters to us so they have a format of exactly what we need.....spoon fed to them. The supervisor got off the phone with me saying he was going to walk down to the research and resource dept. and check on this personally. When he called me back, he said they are working on it. This is what I have gotten everyday of this week from them. It shouldn't be a very time-consuming task. Their excuse when I politely inquire as to why this is so difficult, is that it is "an unusual request." He also told me that after this person finishes with it, it has to go through some "approval" office. I've asked them to have someone call me before it gets mailed to me, so I can personally go over the instruction list and make sure it's right. He couldn't guarantee that this would happen, but that he would email this dept. of my request.
We really wanted to get our dossier mailed by Friday. But even if we get the document overnighted and it arrives tomorrow, assuming it's done right we have to turn it back around to TX and get it apostilled. I guess right now we are mostly panicking because our other "last resort" ideas are ending up roadblocked. It scared us that we are having to rely on this very incompetent company to get us what we need. Very discouraged, very tired, losing our patience, very stressed. Very bad day.
Many prayers headed your way!
ReplyDeleteDon't you just HATE faceless and mindless corporations full of Customer NO SERVICE folks. Here is a suggestion that has worked for me several times when facing corporate stupidity.
ReplyDelete1. Use the Internet and search for where the main corporate headquarters is located.
2. If this corporation is publicly traded on the stock market, they are required to file stockholder reports yearly. In this report will be the names of the top managers including the CEO, President, Chairman of the Board of Directors, etc.
3. Use the Internet to locate a copy of this annual report and locate the names of some of these top managers.
4. Make a phone call to the number you found in item 1 when looking for the corporate headquarters. In your call ask for the President by Name or the CEO by Name.
5. You will not get this person, but many large companies have staff in the President's office and these folks have the authority and ability to solve problems.
6. Keep detailed notes of your conversations with dates and times and who you spoke with. Ask for first and last name and extension so that you can reach the person to follow up.
7. Be very kind and calm in your phone calls and correspondence as this will get you much further. Appeal to their compassion. Ask if they are on the web. Give them the address for your blog so that they can see why you need them to sign this document that you have written for them.
8. Good luck. This has worked for me on several occasions and I pray that it will also be successful for you.
You are welcome to PM me at kim@kpcrafts.com if you need further information.
Blessings to you,
Kim and Michael
What information do you need that your assessor document doesn't contain?
ReplyDelete* House description (address, bedrooms, living space, etc)
* Tax assessed value
* You as owners
The mortgage value is NOT on the list of required things.
We were told we needed what you are asking for... it was IMPOSSIBLE. I was repeatedly told we just had to find a way to get it. The mortgage company wouldn't give a description of the property or current value.
I researched what we actually needed, got it, and then the in country facilitator confirmed it was ok. It really came down to desperation and what was possible. SDA never questioned it and accepted it first submission.
My $0.02... if the assessor stuff is even close, get it, submit your dossier, and just keep working other angles in case it is rejected... what do you have to lose?
I am so sorry you keep having to deal with this! I'm sure it is so frustrating...well beyond that really. Continued prayers for you, this needed document, and those two precious children who are waiting.
ReplyDeleteHi Brian! We need a document from our mortgage company stating what our balance is and what our monthly payments are. It would be all of one sentence, on their letterhead, including our address, signed by bank rep. and notarized on a notary statement.
ReplyDeleteThree county offices....treasure's, real estate and assessors today all told us they have nothing to do with our mortgage info. and would not notarize any such document that contained that info. We already have the notarized county assessor's document that we needed with house description, square footage. They just won't let us copy the mortgage info. onto it and have it notarized again by them.
We have been working with our volunteer helper through Reece's Rainbow who has been in contact with a facilitator in Ukraine. She has repeatedly gotten back to us that this mortgage document "simply must be done." Even the option with the county assessor was not preferred, but was only a last resort. Anyways, that is a mute point now as they are not going to notarize it for us.
One option we are seriously considering is Steve flying out to the headquarters in Irving, TX and trying to get this taken care of in person. We really don't have the money for this and there's is no guarantee it will help. If it did work, the one benefit is he would be able to get it notarized while out there. That could potentially save us a week's time. But we are still trying to save money for Aaron's adoption and don't really want to waste it on such ridiculousness.
Thank you everyone for all of your 2 cents! We have tried many of things suggested or at least presented the suggestions to facilitator in Ukraine....they are just not working : (
Praying for quick resolution to your problems - so sorry you are going through this hassle!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry! I pray things will work out quickly! I hope all of this will soon be a distant memory!
ReplyDeleteCatherine
http://wronginalltherightways-travcat.blogspot.com/
"We need a document from our mortgage company stating what our balance is and what our monthly payments are. It would be all of one sentence, on their letterhead, including our address, signed by bank rep. and notarized on a notary statement."
ReplyDeleteUnless something has changed in the last few months you do NOT need this information. We did not provide it and no one asked us for it. If I was you (and I'm not lol) I would just submit a copy of the deed, and the letter I sent you in email. All that has to be notarized is the deed (saying its a true unaltered copy) and the tax assessors signature on the letter. (This does have to be on county letterhead.) We never had to get any additional info. I don't know why your facilitator is being told you need this, but no one else we know of has been required to submit this.
Good luck!
Hi Erin! Thanks again! My husband did get a copy of our deed yesterday. Our mortgage info. is on our deed. We will attach a letter to it similar to one we attached to our immigration approval stating the deed is "true and unaltered," make the wording applicable to the deed and get it notarized with our signature.
ReplyDeleteA week ago we did the same thing with the verification of mortgage document we got from AHMSI (that came back to us not notarized.). It was sent to facilitator in Ukraine who said that was not acceptable. So I don't know why doing the same thing with our deed is any different. The only thing she suggested as "a last resort" was to get the mortgage info. on our county assessor document notarized by the county. And the county said they would not notarize any document with our mortgage info on it.
I don't know whether AHMSI is going to come through or whether our deed with attached notarized letter will suffice! Steve has zero confidence that AHMSI will get it right. They are not refusing to do it, they just can't seem to do it right. They have an exact format from us....to get it wrong at this point, they'd have to be intentionally messing up. We will see!!
Oh my goodness, why is this happening?
ReplyDeleteTry not to be discouraged. God is in control. Don't give up!
When we were adopting our son from Taiwan in 1997/8 I actually attempted to get ahold of Bob Dole, who at that time was a "liason" between the US and Taiwan. I was desperate too. However, this prompts me to wonder if there is any merit in getting one of your state senators involved to help advocate for you. Still praying for you!! On my blog recently I wrote about a significant *delay* we had during our own Ukraine adoption but how in hindsight it all ended up working out well. Maybe my story will encourage you. It's the most recent post on my blog. Percieved delays are STILL in His hands. He has not lost control of this!!!
ReplyDeleteYeah the assessors office was kind of weirded out by having to sign off on a statement that they didn't send out so I'm not surprised they won't notarize info about your mortgage since it doesn't come from their office. I explained to a nice lady at the assessors office (in person w/ my other two kids) why we needed what we did and that seemed to make all the difference. Its worth a try... no one ever asked us for more information.
ReplyDeleteErin, Steve did tell them what we are doing, pictures of the kids and all. Steve was even in tears as he walked out the door. They wouldn't do it.
ReplyDeleteWe just got word back from the facilitator that the deed seems acceptable. She wants to see it though. So Steve is working on that now. It would be faster if this works, as we can get it apostilled here in VA.
Sally, Thanks for the encouragement. I have often thought of the fact that this delay may have a purpose that only God has the foreknowledge of. I think that's one of the things I have clung to most.
We are planning to have my mom come down from CT to stay with our three oldest kids while we travel. They have a cruise planned for the first week in March. If our travel plans overlap with their cruise, our kids will have to go to a friend's house until my mom can get down here. I know the kids would be well taken care of, but it would be much less complicated if they could stay at home and not be shuffled around while we are away.
Thanks everyone!!