Read this e-mail. After reading it would you use this law firm for your families legal matters?
Keep in mind that I removed the name of the person involved, this law firm used the full name of the Clerk involved.
I had priority couriers take a document to be recorded in Duval County this morning. Subsequently, I received a call from * name withheld* (this name is important - so remember it) *Name Withheld* asked if I wanted athe courier to wait and bring the recorded document back. I said no, because that would cost me and additional 15 dollars-just mail it back. She said their new procedure is they don't mail back documents that are hand-carried to their office to be recorded. They expect you to wait in line for 5 min. Recording. She said they cant be held responsible for mailing the documents back when its hand-carried in I asked her what happens with someone mails in the document for recording. She said in that case they would mail it back. (so, in essence, she's saying they will be responsible for one group but not the other. Hum???)
I explained to *Name Withheld* the reason I (and many of us here at Pappas, Metcalf, Jenks, and Miller) use a courier to deliver a document for recording - we don't want to take a chance it gets lost in the mail. If it gets lost before its recorded, we have to go though a huge time burden and expense to get the document re-executed. Not to mention, sometimes the documents need to be recorded right away and not delayed due to mail delivery. I explained that once its in their hands and recorded and they mail it back, if the mail looses it we can get a certified copy. (even though we'd like to have the original back)
I then asked *Name Withheld* what if we put a self-addressed stamped envelope with the courier delivery? Would they take the time to put the recorded documents in the envelope, seal it, and walk it to the mail pick up? She said if we send it to her (put her attention on the envelope) she would do it. But if it goes to anyone else, she knows for a fact they wont do that.
I hope I don't have to point out their horrible ethics Just read their e-mail. Also note, they never mailed this directly to Jim Fuller. Mr. Fuller would have been able to handle the situation properly. They decided instead to spread this rumor to a lot of other Law Firms in Jacksonville. Luckily one law firm was nice enough to forward this to Mr. Fuller to let him know what this firm was doing.
Now, her side of the story. When the courthouse got a new system implemented they stopped taking courier drop off's at the counter because the process was supposed to cater to whomever was standing there. This allowed people coming in on their lunch breaks to be able to get their documentation filed in a timely manner. The courier that this company used actually cut in line and attempted a drop off. The clerk told the courier he would have to wait for it and this is when he got mad because the law firm would not pay him to wait.
The clerk called the law firm and stated the new rules to them. They got mad because now they were going to have to pay a courier to come back to their office. The clerk told the law firm if they came directly to her that she would go ahead and file their drop offs.
I would also like to take the time to let everyone know that the clerk had to double check the return address for this document because they did not have a return address on the document, and they did not want the documentation mailed back to the address on the check. Hence another reason that the clerks cannot guarantee something will get back to the right person. Most companies NEVER put a return address on their documentation.
My favorite part of this whole letter was the whole paragraph about how the recording department will cater to one person and not another. If it comes in the mail, it gets mailed back. If it comes over the counter it leave over the counter. Not a hard concept to grasp. You would think that this law firm had enough sense to understand that fact.
They also state that to re-execute a legal document would take them too long. I know for a fact; as long as the grantors are in the room; it wouldn't take any more than 5 minutes to re-execute any type of legal documentation. As for cost, almost every lawyer is a notary. And paper costs less than 1 cent a sheet. The only cost they would incur is the time it would take to print and sign a form. So technically, A whole 5 minutes at most.
They don't care about the consumers time constraints. Yes they are correct that it takes longer to get legal documentation to us by mail, but they never once stated that they needed the documents in a timely manner for their customers. They also state that if the paperwork is lost in the mail coming back they would just give the customer a copy. I don't know about you all, but I would prefer an original to a copy any day and would gladly pay 15 dollars to guarantee it.
This could have been handled easily if this law firm would not have tried to bend the rules in favor of their wallet. Remember that next time they charge you an outrageous sum for any legal services they do for you (and then most likely take forever to get your documentation, possibly a copy, back to you).
This is has never been a problem with any other law firm. They understand that priority = money. If that law firm was so worried about loosing a document in the mail you think they would pay the extra two dollars to send it with a confirmation. Or just spend the extra 15 dollars to have it brought back to them. No, this company took advantage of the courthouse system and then when a clerk tried to help them they turned around and wrote a very incorrect, very nasty, and very wrong e-mail to other lawyers in the city.
Also, because of this company your tax dollars (and time) are being wasted just to save them a few bucks. Since this whole ordeal got so out of hand because of them e-mailing so many law firms, Jim Fuller had to change the rules. The rules now state that if a law firm has a self addressed stamped envelope the clerks are able to take the documentation and mail it back. Unfortunately, sometimes the envelopes aren't stamped, or there is no envelope at all. This also causes the clerks to have to work on something wile someone is not at their desk wile you are waiting in line.
I told the clerk that was involved that she should file some kind of suit against this firm because they used her full name and tried to make her out as a bad person, but she didn't. She took the whole thing in stride, and until the day she left tried her best to offer the most up to date, correct, and compassionate customer service that I have ever seen.
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