Just found out that my largest client is sending work in my largest county to the Indian Subcontinent.  Also found out that some new, untrained, inexperienced "abstractor" has way-undercut my already fair, reasonable fees.  I don't know who my new competition is, but I think I have an idea...

I've seen all the talk about sticking to ones guns and one's fees.  That's fine and dandy, but will do me no good if my volume (and income) is literally a fraction of what it was.  I have a baby on the way to think about, and overnight I face the prospect of having respectable business and income to being a pauper.

I am so upset about the situation, I'm physically ill.  I fear and dread the prospect of lowering my fees, upon my very soul I do (I was prepared to increase them), but I'm afraid I must just to maintain a steady income.

Another reason is online indices and imaged documents.  I have found the online directories to be unreliable, and have expressed this to my clients to no avail.

The only options I see right now are to unite with other title professionals and explore the option of adopting a state law forbidding the use of online indices and images free to anyone in the world to access sensative information; or to support the inacting of guidlines and certification of abstractors and examiners; or lastly, to seek another line of work and abandon the profession that I truly love and was born for, and the business which I built from scratch with my hard work.

Any comments? Suggestions?

Mike Persyn
MLP Abstract
Castroville, TX