Consumer complaint received 2024-02-01
Product: Mortgage — Other type of mortgage
Issue: Closing on a mortgage — Delays with the closing process
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (CA)

XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX appointment with XXXX XXXX for notary services. I was running 10 minutes late to my appointment ; my mom who was also joining me arrived 40 minutes early and notified XXXX that I would be late. I tried calling the bank branch but it went to an automated voicemail service with no representatives available. I spoke with XXXX over the phone ( speaker phone from my mom 's cell phone ) ; she was hesitant from the beginning and asked what kind of documents were needing to be notarized. I told her it's deed paperwork. She said that banks " typically don't do deed notarizations '' to which I responded that I know that is not true since the previous notarization of the deed for the same property was done through Bank of America in XXXX. XXXX did not have a response for this. 

When I arrived, XXXX took my mom and me into her office. We reviewed the documents. She said there were too many documents to complete before the XXXX closing. She kept complaining about the number of documents and that banks don't complete notaries for deeds. We again had the same discussion that her remarks made no sense because we've had several real estate documents notarized through banks before. 

Because she was continuously complaining, we asked for her manager. She said her manager is gone for the day. She then got up and went and brought one of her co-workers ( who was another notary ), XXXX XXXX. XXXX and XXXX reviewed the documents. They said they could complete only one document given they were going to close in 15 minutes and that I would have to reschedule for notarization of the rest of the documents. 

I expressed to them my concern that because the attorney who prepared the deeds wrote " XXXX '' on all the documents, I would not be able to reschedule the appointment ( which was on XX/XX/XXXX and the next day would be XXXX ). 

XXXX reassured me that she would take care of it the next day and that the writings by the attorney who prepared the deed and wrote " XXXX '' could be addended to reflect XXXX by the notary ( which would have been XXXX the next day of XX/XX/XXXX ). 

My mom and I agreed to reschedule the appointment. XXXX informed us that the appointment would have to be for an hour given the number of documents. She scheduled us for XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX : The next day, we arrived at Bank of America at XXXX. When we walked in, XXXX was standing at the front with three additional BoA employees including her manager, XXXX. XXXX was very rude and said we were ten minutes late and she would not be able to accommodate our appointment. By this time, I looked at my phone and it was XXXX ( eight minutes after the appointment which should have been scheduled for an hour as per what XXXX had told us the day before ). 

The manager, XXXX, then started to ask my mom and me what the documents are that we are bringing and without hearing anything from us or seeing the documents, expressed that she was unsure if her notaries could help us. It was from these comments that it became obvious that XXXX and XXXX had already discussed this with their manager XXXX before we arrived. 

I asked XXXX to identify herself and her role. She said she's the bank manager. I asked her to take my mom and me to a private room to talk instead of discussing private matters in a bank lobby. She took us back to XXXX 's office. I explained to XXXX that the animosity and refusal to notarize deeds that have been prepared by an attorney ( with attorney letterhead and letter on documents and contact information all provided to the bank ) was very perplexing. It was too obvious that XXXX and XXXX were implying an aura of suspicion. They were refusing to provide notary services. 

XXXX responded that they have to know what they are notarizing. I brought to XXXX 's attention that XXXX and XXXX reviewed the documents the day prior and agreed to notarize. That is why the appointment was rescheduled to the next day. XXXX expressed that she " can not force her staff to notarize if they 'do not feel comfortable ' notarizing a document. '' I asked XXXX to provide Bank of America 's policy showing that even if a document is prepared by an attorney and is a legal document, the Bank of America notary an refuse to notarize if they " feel uncomfortable. '' She could not provide this information. 

She then said she can have her staff notarize one document since it was nearing XXXX ( and again, we were supposed to have an hour long appointment but XXXX reserved another thirty minute slot ). She went to speak with her staff. At this time, my mom and I had enough and were so confused and perplexed that we were being treated this way by this Bank of America branch. We were essentially denied notary services from the beginning when I spoke with XXXX over the phone. She again was hesitant in person even after reviewing the documents. Her inexplicable hesitancy transpired over to XXXX and then to their manager XXXX the next day. 

My mom and I are still very perplexed by the whole experience with notary services at this Bank of America branch. It was the worst experience. We were essentially denied a public service ( even though I am also a Bank of America customer ).