I never heard of such a thing- they get enough IMO.

LOL! As if closing costs weren't expensive enough already! Money Money Money. Money!!!!!

I wouldn't be surprised to find your attorney with the title person dining out for $200, if you give this RIDICULOUS tip.

If it's so customary, let your attorney give this tip instead.

LOL -- purchased 7 homes in 6 different states and have never heard of tipping the title person. next thing you know we'll be tipping inspector, the appraiser and the surveyor.

I'm with the "what!?" group.

Don't they get paid for doing their jobs? That suggestion would bring nothing but a belly laugh here.

Never heard of this, and in fact I wouldn't be surprised if it was against RESPA rules.

Sounds like tipping at Dunkin Donuts for a job they already get paid for.

OK, definitely a New York City thing! We meet up with our attorney before the closing and I'm going to push him on this.

You've GOT to be kidding?!

And I suppose these title people have to report 10% of their tips on their tax forms? LMBO Not in a million years would I tip!

It isn't just NY. We "HAD" to do this twice for purchases in NY and when we bought here in NC, the attorney we used "reminded" me to bring the tip for the title guy. In NY we were actally told the closing would "fall apart" if we didn't-this was during our very first house purchase when I was questioning everything. I found out later from my neighbors that this is very customary and considered a "given" expense to the buyer.

Got to love RE practices at the east coast. Does the title company provide valet parking?

I have bought more than one house here in NC and I have *never* tipped anyone. The charges I pay are layed out and accounted for on the closing settlement sheet. *All* charges are for services (ok, some are "junk charges", but that's another thread topic), none for tips.

Also during the house buying process here in NC, I have never been advised to tip. It's never even been suggested to me or anyone I'm aware of.

As jrldh pointed out, closing costs are high enough. It's time for the home-buying public to question every charge to make sure it's legitimate. To suggest tipping for a service you're already paying for is just too much.

Take a close look at your HUD statement, if you've the stomach for it. The title company is being well paid for whatever it is they do. More than likely, they're even charging you a "courier fee" to move the title documents from one filing cabinet to another.

sheesh

"More than likely, they're even charging you a "courier fee" to move the title documents from one filing cabinet to another."
Only if the cabinets are in the same room, if they are across the hallway, it's one more charge ;).
p.s. courier fees (i.e. fed ex) cost extra and are there to mail the payoff to the lender after closing to reduce paying more days of interest.

My daughter also lives in NC and she didn't tip the title company either when she bought her home in Charlotte.

The Title Company already gets paid. Count me in the "never heard of such a thing" group.

MP

TIP the title person? As if tipping hasn't gone WAY TOO FAR already, this is crazy...Perhaps you should give this attorney of your's a tip, Tell him this sounds like a strong arm tactic, and you will not be involved in it.

Here's an interesting web-site on tipping etiquette. Note that under miscellaneous, you'll find that according to this site the title company gets NOTHING as a tip.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tipping etiquette

when we bought here in NC, the attorney we used "reminded" me to bring the tip for the title guy. In NY we were actally told the closing would "fall apart" if we didn't

If somebody told me a legal deal would "fall apart" because I didn't grease a palm off the records, I'd have the state attorney general's office on the phone so fast the lines would smoke. Somebody's head would roll.

"If somebody told me a legal deal would "fall apart" because I didn't grease a palm off the records, I'd have the state attorney general's office on the phone so fast the lines would smoke. Somebody's head would roll."

I'm with you! Never heard of this practice. How frivalous!

In NY we were actally told the closing would "fall apart" if we didn't

Crazy. I never saw anyone except my attorney at any of my closings... all in NY.

Here's my tip for the title person: "Don't stand up in a row boat" !

We live in NY and we tipped our title guy, though it was $20 not $200. The realtor informed of us of this practice at the closing. We were actually told the guy would take a check if we did not have cash!!

It's one thing to be told it's nice or customary, quite a different thing to have implied the deal would go down the tubes if you didn't cough up cash. That's not frivolous, that's a threat.

This is NOT a NY thing. This is a NYC and Westchester thing. Im in NY, this practice definitely raises eye brows in my county.

Sounds like tipping at Dunkin Donuts for a job they already get paid for.

I wasnt going to comment on this, but since my kids are at the age of having these types of jobs, I feel I must...

Just so you know, those girls at Dunkin Donuts get paid less than minimum wage because that job comes under the catagory of "waitressing". So the next time someone gets you coffee and butters your roll, think about giving them a tip. And while Im at it, since my son delivers pizza....don't assume that the pizza shop takes a delivery charge. They get paid less than minimum wage and depend on tips for delivery. (their gas, their car). Nuff said :)

I wasnt going to comment on this, but since my kids are at the age of having these types of jobs, I feel I must...

Just so you know, those girls at Dunkin Donuts get paid less than minimum wage because that job comes under the catagory of "waitressing". So the next time someone gets you coffee and butters your roll, think about giving them a tip. And while Im at it, since my son delivers pizza....don't assume that the pizza shop takes a delivery charge. They get paid less than minimum wage and depend on tips for delivery. (their gas, their car). Nuff said :)

I didn't say it to offend anyone Linda. I didn't know what they get paid, last I knew when someone I knew worked there, they got paid minimum wage like I did pumping gas. We also don't get pizza often and if we do get it ourselves, we know pizza people work for tips.

I don't make it a habit to go to Dunkin Donuts or anywhere for coffee, I'm too cheap to buy it out, especially when there's nothing wrong with what I brew at home.

My pizza guy was driving a 2006 Cadillac DTS last week. He was 18 (I asked) and it was his car (I asked). He said he worked construction in the summers. Not a good car for a 'za guy as the pizza sauce all rolled to the back of the box, he had it in the back seat. But anyway...a bit OT...

I like springvillegarden's tip!!

I won't tell DH about this because he tips EVERYONE. He feels sorry for EVERYONE doing service jobs, especially those who are sweet, courteous and nice like I am sure all of Linda's children are :-)

My very first job was as a letter carrier for the postal service. It was a small mountain town and frankly the competition was lethal and it was considered one of the "better" jobs around and I was the first woman they ever hired. I was just a sweet young thing then but when my super asked if I'd like to purchase Thank You notes at Christmas I had to ask why. It was explained to me then people often tipped their carriers. As young as I was, I was taken back. I appreciated a cup of hot coffee when I was butt deep in snow, or a place to go to the bathroom since there were no restrooms on most of my route, but the thought of somebody tipping a federal employee didn't hit me right even then. I got paid for my work, and well.

I sound like a militant about tipping, but I am generous with food service people. I know the score there and would just as soon give more on my check to make sure the people who work there get a fair wage than know some people don't tip at all and they still have to pay taxes on it.

I've never heard of tipping the title person. That person is doing a professional type job - do you tip your doctor? Or the doctor's staff?

As far as waiters not being paid minimum, that depends on the state. In California all servers get paid at least minimum wage and then get tips on top of that. No one gets paid less than the state minimum, which is higher than the federal minimum. Some servers in California, at the expensive restaurants, take home a good amount of money, probably more than the people they are serving!

I think that's the case in Oregon too, that the servers and gas jockeys (it's illegal for consumers to pump their own gas here) all get paid at least minimum. Any tips are just extra for them.

So if the service isn't good here, I don't feel bad about not tipping much. If the service is good, I tip well. But not to the title person.

It struck me as ridiculous in NYC in 1983 when my attorney told me to tip the title recorder $25. I was writing checks for so many thousands that it was easier to just do it but it obviously annoyed me since I remember it in detail. When I refinanced and changed the title in 1991 I did not have an attorney and did not tip the title recorder.

"It struck me as ridiculous in NYC in 1983 when my attorney told me to tip the title recorder $25. "

Obviously, this has been going on for some time. For the record, the first house we purchased was in Nassau County, NY and the "tip" was 75 dollars in 1987. In 1999 when we purchased in Orange County, NY it was 100 dollars. In 2005 in NC, it was again 100 dollars. My neighbor said her attorney told her husband to give the title person 200.

Just one more NC vote. I have bought several homes in NC and have never tipped anyone ever for closing a house. Also - I have never heard of this practice. Perhaps someone is taking advantage of people moving from NY since they had heard about the practice up there.

I grew up in NY (LI actually). My father who was from FL always commented how "greasing the palms" was just common business practice in NY - very different from other parts of the country. Everyone is paid off and it is just the "way its done." It really doesn't surprise me that title people are tipped - but only in NY.

As a resident of CARY - Containment Area of Relocated Yankees - I have to give my vote for leaving such ridiculous practices in NY.

Thanks for all the feedback. Somehow I'm not surprised that it's a NYC and surrounding-areas thing.

From what our attorney explained yesterday and what I got from my other real-estate forum, the NYC-area 'tip' is a result of two things. One, the title company rep is paid some nominal fee per closing and doesn't receive directly any percentage of the money we paid for our title insurance and title search. Two, the tip is a throwback to an earlier era when notaries were not allowed to charge for their services, and you tipped the title rep as appreciation for his/her attendance at the closing and the notary services provided.

To his credit, our title company rep was 100% on the ball. The seller's attorney was an elderly gentleman who's semi-retired and handled the closing as a courtesy to his long-time clients; he was not on the ball at all. The title guy was on his cell phone from the moment he walked in, having things emailed and faxed and covering up for the seller's attorney's incompetence. Both my husband (who's an attorney himself) and our attorney privately agreed that the closing would have been postponed for a day or two without the title rep's willingness to work and find creative solutions to deal with seller's attorney's mistakes and oversights.

So yeah, we tipped in the end. Our attorney said "optional but, for the job this guy did, reward him" and we did.

I didn't say it to offend anyone Linda. I didn't know what they get paid

No offense taken Rose. It was just a FYI since I thought your comment made it sound like you thought they already got paid a salary and the tip wasnt necessary.

My pizza guy was driving a 2006 Cadillac DTS last week. He was 18

Whenicit my son drives a nicer car than I do. (An Audi A4), his tips don't change with what he drives, believe it or not, they change with what he wears. He made a comment that when he wears a t shirt, the tips are lower than when he wears a polo shirt. Go figure. Friday night, he got an $11 tip on a $9 dollar bill. He's wearing a polo shirt consistently now :)

Im sorry, I think Im bordering on hijacking the thread.

ZeeBee, thanks for coming back and explaining what you were told. Just goes to show all states are different.

No offense taken Rose. It was just a FYI since I thought your comment made it sound like you thought they already got paid a salary and the tip wasnt necessary.

I wonder if they get paid differently where you are then where I am as it's possible. I don't have problems tipping if I know people depend on it because at one time I used to.

I left high school with a license to do hair. I can't begin to tell everyone how little the person shampooing your hair or the assistant taking care of your perm / color makes. They hold the same license that the hairdresser does and most times does more work yet are paid less and tipped less.

I bought a house on Long Island in 1979 and never heard about tipping. Since then I bought three houses in NJ (in areas where many people are from NYC) and never heard about tipping here either. The most recent purchase was in 2000.

When we sold our last house in MD. 3 years ago, we didn't tip anyone at the title company----They gave us a bottle of wine to celebrate.

I have never tipped or seen anyone tipped who was involved in a real estate closing -- four in Maryland and one in NYC. It was never suggested, either.