I also find this practice quite offensive.  ValuAmerica has been around for several years and I have ranted and raved about it many times.  Someone had the bright idea to sell a service to these lenders that would make their lives easier (because the abstractors will enter everything for them) and the biggest selling point... the abstractors will pay for the privilege!  What a joke!  ValuAmerica recognized that abstractors are so desperate that they will do whatever they are told to get work... even pay for it! 

Just look at the abstractors' track record... first they agreed to reduce prices when they were busy (volume discount).  Then, they agreed to take a further reduction when things slowed because their clients had to cut their expenses (not their salaries).  It even got to the point where some companies (*cough* First America *cough*) didn't even ask - they just sent out notices that if you didn't reply to their email, they were just going to reduce your fees in the AUTO PAY system.  Really... is it any surprise that someone said "Hey... these guys will probably even pay us to send them orders!"

If the system is so great - charge the lender for it.  I would still charge an extra fee just for the inconvenience of having to use it on my end, but I don't think I would be so morally opposed to the idea if they weren't charging the abstractors the transactional fees.  That is just ridiculous.

If any of my clients actually had the nerve to ask me to sign up with ValuAmerica... and PAY to get their orders... they'd get a huge earful of "HELL NO! HELL NO! and HELL NO!"  How would they like it if I got a 900 fax number that charged them $5.99 per call to send me orders?  Hmmm... I might just be on to something.

Best,
Robert A. Franco
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