In preparation for our closing, my partner and I, both real estate professionals (as agent, broker, landlord, developer or investor) in the business over 50 year combined, we texted as well as emailed Safe Title that we wanted our proceeds in certified funds. Jennifer, assistant to lawyer Julie Ferris, replied to our emails that they would have our proceeds ready via certified funds.
We drove from New Orleans to Baton Rouge for this closing and before we finished signing the necessary documents, we asked to make sure that our proceeds would be in certified funds. Ms Ferris said that we were to be paid with checks from their business account. She told us that those were certified funds knowing full well that they were not. A check drawn on their banking account may not clear for a few days so while the bank and the closing company had received their funds certified, we would not. At that point the buyer would be in our house and everyone else would have their certified funds but we would not. We have every right to receive our funds certified just like they did. She tried to deceive us! Ms Ferris argued with my partner that their check was certified funds and when he said they were not, she asked him if he was a lawyer!! She tried to tell us something that was not true just so we would take our non certified funds and go! She is a lawyer and should definitely know better.
Since we had emailed and texted that the sale would not proceed unless our funds were certified as asked and assured they would be, we left. We were driving not more than 10 minutes when her company called us, because they were told to do so by the lender, not wanting to lose the sale themselves, that they must follow through by giving us our proceeds via certified funds.
When we returned, the representative from the lender was also at the office to make sure this closing went smoothly and we were paid as we were supposed to be. Ms Ferris had to go to the bank, which we were told was nearby, and she didn't return for over an hour!!! She left us to sit in their office because she was angry that she was proven WRONG!
Our 1:00 closing, which should have taken 30 minutes, didn't end until 5:00 pm and she knew we had appointments following this closing because we'd told her so via email.
I would certainly NOT RECOMMEND Safe Title based on this awful closing. read more