I see this question come up all the time in notary groups:

“If a signing company hasn’t paid me, should I contact the title company or lender?”

As the owner of a signing service, my answer is yes—but there is a right way to go about it.

First, let’s be clear about one thing. The title company or lender probably is not going to step in and pay you. In most cases, they have already paid the notary fee to the signing company or vendor they hired.

So, contacting them should not be about asking them to pay you. It should be about making them aware of what is happening.

Before you even think about escalating the issue, make sure the payment is actually late.

Not every company pays immediately after a signing. Some pay in 30 days, some in 45 days, and some may have other payment terms. You need to know what those terms are before accepting the assignment.

Please do not complete a signing on Monday and contact the title company on Wednesday asking where your money is. That is not going to help your case, and it may make you look unprofessional.

Make sure the payment terms have passed. Make sure you submitted your invoice correctly. Make sure the company has your W-9, if required, and that you completed any other steps needed to receive payment.

Once the payment terms have passed, start with the company that hired you.

I always recommend using email whenever possible because it gives you a paper trail. Keep the message simple and professional. Let them know the invoice is past due and ask whether they are missing anything from you.

Sometimes there really is a simple issue. Maybe the invoice was not received. Maybe a document was missing. Maybe the payment was processed but sent to the wrong address.

Give them an opportunity to explain and correct the problem.

If you do not hear back, follow up again. Keep copies of your emails, invoices, order confirmations, payment terms and anything else related to the assignment.

Work your way up the ladder. Do not jump straight to the title company or lender without first making a reasonable effort to resolve the problem with the company that hired you.

However, if you have done all of that, the payment terms have passed, you have followed up several times, and you still have not been paid or given a legitimate explanation, then yes, I believe it is appropriate to contact the title company or lender.

Again, the goal is not to demand that they pay you twice.

The goal is to let them know what is happening with a company they hired to represent them.

The title company or lender may have no idea that the signing service they are using is not paying notaries. They may think everything is running smoothly because they paid their invoice and the signing was completed.

They should know how the vendors they hire are treating the notaries who are sitting at the table with their customers.

That information matters. It gives them the ability to make an informed decision about whether they want to continue working with that company in the future.

If you do contact the title company or lender, keep your message factual.

Let them know the date of the signing, the order number, the amount owed, the payment terms and the dates you attempted to contact the company.

There is no need for threats, accusations or an angry message. You do not need to call anyone a scammer or accuse them of stealing from you.

Simply explain that you completed the assignment, the payment is past due, and your attempts to resolve the matter directly have been unsuccessful.

I know some people believe notaries should never contact the title company or lender about nonpayment.

I respectfully disagree.

As a signing service owner, I believe signing companies should honor their payment terms. If there is a problem, they should communicate with the notary and explain what is going on.

I also believe notaries have a responsibility to follow the proper process. Know the payment terms. Submit everything correctly. Follow up professionally. Give the company a chance to fix the problem.

But once you have done all of that and you still have not been paid, I do not believe you should feel obligated to stay quiet.

Speaking up is not about causing drama. It is about accountability.

Notaries deserve to be paid for the work they complete, and title companies and lenders deserve to know when a company they hired is not meeting that responsibility.