Posted by ConnieK on 10/26/07 2:06am
Msg #218376

Congress Rep to look into No Payment/No Business Across Bo

A Congress Rep is looking into getting possible legislature for Notaries no pay from across borders. If you are in Oregon send me your name and info. Will send you letter.

Reply by Roger_OH on 10/26/07 8:47am
Msg #218394

This is NOT a good thing...

The LAST thing we need is to have freaking Congress getting involved in notary bill-collecting. What is Congress mostly comprised of? The polite answer is attorneys, who would love to have more states become attorney-only. Hope Oregon notaries don't throw the baby out with the bathwater here.

Leave it alone and pursue your own business collections, or down the road you may find that only attorneys will be allowed to do your job.

Reply by BrendaTx on 10/26/07 9:05am
Msg #218398

Stongly disagree with ConnieK / Agree with Roger.

It is very foolish to get legislators involved in bill collecting for notaries. Laws will get written to make all transactions attorney only.

Reply by Becca_FL on 10/26/07 9:07am
Msg #218399

Re: Stongly disagree with ConnieK / Agree with Roger. Ditto.

Congress involved in MY business...this could only end badly. Oregon, wake up.

Reply by ConnieK on 10/26/07 3:39pm
Msg #218502

Re: Stongly disagree with ConnieK / Agree with Roger.

Attorneys? NO!! Where do you go when you have $2700 on books unpaid? All SS Agencies. I wnt to collections who also collected and scammed me out of my half. Went to Small Claims--do not cross borders (unless you have the $$). Consumer Protection --business to business no help. Federsal Trade--business to business no help. All small business have the same issues. BBB - most take complaint but if cannot contact SS for any reason, cannot help. One SS went bankrupt - out of state! I have done better with BBB than any service. I am still $1,800 on books--all SS. Would it pay to stay in business? I am in a very remote area of Oegon. So, made a complaint with Atty General's office and Congress Rep. Got call talked. Advise was--YOU MUST COLLECT UP FRONT! What would that do to SS? They get to keep all the fees! Borrower pays twice! Do no think I can be on that road! I would like input! After having all the down time, collections was my goal. Not there yet but there has to be a better solution for the SS delimma!

Reply by sue_pa on 10/26/07 4:05pm
Msg #218504

Re: Stongly disagree with ConnieK / Agree with Roger.

sitting here patiently waiting for my paperwork for my 4:00, my 6:00, some o'clock.

A better solution for the ss dilemna? It's already out there. Use your brain and you'll figure it out - it's really not that complicated.

Reply by ConnieK on 10/26/07 4:50pm
Msg #218510

Re: Stongly disagree with ConnieK / Agree with Roger.

Thanks loads for the help! I am sure you do not get SS signings! Then SS need to go!

Reply by BrendaTx on 10/26/07 7:44pm
Msg #218528

Re: Stongly disagree with ConnieK / Agree with Roger.

"Attorneys? NO!!"

Attorneys, yes.

Connie, You do not understand. And, yes, I read your pm. No, I won't post it b/c it says pretty much the same as this post.

-If you demand to collect up front, you will not work. Good advice from your congressman, but bad to put into effect. It won't happen.

-If you get your congressman involved you risk bringing attention to a small business which has heretofore been a nice income for a notary signing agent. There is nothing from stopping state legislatures from determining that signing agent work is better suited for an attorney. Most of the NSAs are fortunate not to have that interference at this time. However, in Texas, for instance, nothing would suit lawmakers (and lobbyist local title companies) more than to put a quick stop to the NSA handling ANY loans. Other states have tried to go this route as well. All you are doing is giving them fuel to put signing agents out of the business.

-What would you rather have, a $2700 bad debt or having the signing agent business shut down altogether and put into the hands of only lawyers?

It's tough to take a hit on your receivables however, you are being stubborn and refusing to see that you can be easily removed permanently from this business if you keep getting government involved in it.

"All small businesses have the same issues."

Correct. You are a small business and you aren't special to be entitled to having the government take this up for you. IMHO - Deal with the bad debt like a small business should and stop running to the government to fix it for you.

No one can make bankrupt companies come out of bankruptcy and pay you as you desire to be. Your attempt to get government involved is a detriment to your business.

Reply by MichiganAl on 10/27/07 1:46am
Msg #218552

First of all, I can't understand 90% of what you're saying

Could you write in full sentences and not bounce around like a rubber ball? Thought. Exclamation. Another thought. Exclamation. Back to first thought. Exclamation. Partial sentence. Exclamation. Abbreviation, broken English, dash dash dash, exclamation.

I THINK the point is that you're having collection problems. Where do you go? You go to the mirror. We're small business owners. We're self-employed. We're entrepreneurs. You're responsible for yourself and your collections, just like thousands of other industries. Don't look to Congress, don't look to attorneys, look to your own process. Are you thoroughly researching a companies payment history before taking work from them? Are you following their invoice procedures? Do you know their payment schedule? Do you follow up in writing? By certified mail? Small claims?

Also, read here: http://blog.detroitnotary.com/2007/10/collecting-past-due-debts.html

Reply by ConnieK on 10/26/07 2:35pm
Msg #218488

Re: This is NOT a good thing...

Thanks for reply! SS will bring on the attorneys! They will get far more $$ than any Notary. NO! SS got to go! Congress Rep says we have the power to charge up front! That is solution from the rep. What does that do? SS can get the whole amount sent to them for finding us! You get to work free most of the time for the SS anyway! There soon will not be Notaries for the SS to find. I have $2,700 uncollected. Can't do small claims across borders--I say can't do business across borders if no pay. I like sounding boards! Things will go down the better way. Can Attorneys get their fees? Why? Why can't we? Because we are getting paid less to do more! Thanks for replies!

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 10/26/07 3:01pm
Msg #218493

Re: This is NOT a good thing...

"Congress Rep says we have the power to charge up front"

Yes, you have the power to charge up front. However I don't know of one signing service that will pay up front. They cannot pay you for a signing that you haven't done.
I send checks out the day after the signing, but there is no way I am going to agree to pay before the signing is completed.

Reply by BrendaTx on 10/26/07 11:39pm
Msg #218547

Connie, here's a link to an article

http://www.nationalnotary.org/news/index.cfm?Text=newsNotary&newsID=1259

Admittedly, it is the NNA's article...so fact checking might be in order...but perhaps if you read this you will understand how some states are already targeted to put attorneys into the signing agent role and to remove the signing agent.

Reply by John_NorCal on 10/26/07 9:35am
Msg #218406

Any time you get government involved in private business, you will only have trouble in the end. Not a good idea.

Reply by Philip Johnson on 10/26/07 10:05am
Msg #218415

She's just following the credo of most Oregonians.

It's not her fault, for some reasons our good friends in Oregon put a lot of trust in politicians and government. Of course I should say that there seems to be quite a few folks here in Washington too that have lost their way in the belief of government making everything just right.
It wasn't long ago that Rep. Wu of Portland gave a speech talking about star wars characters and how they relate to our government. I think you can probably You tube it, quite entertaining.

Reply by sue_pa on 10/26/07 2:05pm
Msg #218484

I don't think so

do you truly think the federal government will step into the collection business? I might add, if yuo want to get technical about it, the notary fee part is state regulated. Since there is no such 'real' thing as a signing agent, what do you want them to legislate?

Keep your ideas in your own state because I for one don't want any parts of anyone collecting for me - or me collecting for the young lady the other day who wanted to give $1.00 to have someone collect for her.

Collections and bad debt are actually a very small part of your business (or should be) and a very frustrating part but they are a part of every business and you learn to deal with it as each and every other business - from the plumber to Exxon - does. If you don't understand this very basic concept, how do you run a successful business?

Reply by Alice/MD on 10/26/07 2:34pm
Msg #218487

The government (made up of lawyers) is only to take away from business owners, not give us help in collection. Lawyers would love to have our business. In Maryland, lawyers make sure we pay through our nose to close loan by forcing us to have a Title Insurance Producer License with the added cost of Surety bonds and many other expenses which other states do not require.

Reply by MistarellaFL on 10/26/07 8:46pm
Msg #218539

Be smart.....don't work for agencies (SS)

Think about this.....form a network, market for direct work.
I avoid SS like the plague. They don't pay, they don't communicate.