I totally understand how you feel Robert....last year was my worst year ever.  My costs sky rocketed, and fees from customers plummeted.  After six months of that trend, I had no choice but to tell customers they either had to pay my charge...or find someone else.  It is now August, and we are still struggling to get out from under the debt that I accumulated trying to keep things going. But we are still here, and fortunately the girls that work for me - are good people and willing to do whatever it takes to keep going.  We pick up a customer here and there, and every bit helps but there are days when that accounts recievable sure could use a shot in the arm.  I know of two abstractors who are no longer around in the courthouse...and I would guess it was probably because of problems with their searches and/or the business slowing down. Meanwhile, for every two that are no longer in business - there are four new ones.  I know several people who mistakenly got the impression that this is an easy way to make a buck.  Wrong. wrong. wrong.   Two of my employees  have worked for me a little over 18 months...and the more they learn...the more they understand how little they DO know.  I have been abstracting and examining over 20 years..and I am STILL LEARNING.  Laws change. Interpretations change from customer to customer....
   My reputation...my company's reputation...is our biggest asset and our largest liability.   If I curtail quality in the name of turnaround time and expense, my risk of error increases.  When my risk increases....errors occur. Those errors damage credibility...which affects client confidence. Client confidence determines  where the orders go.  We are at the edge of this turning tide of growth.  And I do get angry when I hear or see some person who thinks that all that is involved is finding a warranty deed and the loan after it. It doesn't matter who executed the deed, who signed the loan papers, etc. etc. And it's not just abstractors that are doing this kind of stuff - the newer title companies have people working for them that just do not know what they are doing....they don't do updates, they don't check court (its on the credit report anyway, right???)...they don't run additional names on the title....geez..it's appalling what all is or isn't being done anymore. I am as guilty as the next person by thinking that well, they will go out of business sooner or later so it won't affect me.  WRONG.  By the time they go out of business, I may be out of business.  My vendor may be out of business from all the stupidity that they have been exposed to. I think that it is REALLY in all of our best interest to get this certification process in place - and to make sure that somehow, it becomes such a standard in this industry - that incompetency becomes a thing of the past. In the meantime, as long as my fax machines keep working, and I squeeze one more copy from each printer, all the cell phones recharge,  the copy bill stays within $100, the computers don't lock up, and the mailman brings a check now and again - just in time to make payroll ....