Hey Patrick , I  feel your pain. I hate getting stiffed by clients so I  don't give them the opportunity to run up the tab. When we were busy and a new client called I would  1) ask who their examiner is (or was) in my county, 2) Why are they leaving their current examiner  3) Ask if they were paid up to date. All of this is verified with the former examiner. Most of my fellow abstractors did the same thing (however a few low lifes that undercut and back stab us we would not care if they get burned).

                      But coming out here and checking on the clients works great !!!!  . If they are a nation wide client and examiners in other counties are not being paid it gives me a head up on what I can expect from these clients . Nothing against Jessica ( there are also others who don't like it when the forum is used to say if a client pays on time or if they pay at all) but I agree with you that posting ones experience with a client is good info for us all to know and no one should take it as a personal as an attack on their  clients.

I hope all is well with your mom

 " i had a situation last year where i had to decide whether to pay my credit cards late or my mortgage late or let my mom suffer.  i chose to pay the one bill"