Posted by sueharke on 8/20/12 12:45pm
Msg #431146

Interships for new notaries

After reading all the newbie posts and reflecting back on being a newbie notary, I wonder why newly commissioned NSA notaries are not required to have an internship period with an experienced notary? Doctors, lawyers, psychologists, witch doctors (yes they require a 7 year internship), accountants, all require a certain time and certain amount of experience to do the job alone. I can see this requirement applicable to notaries in all states.

I do not know what would be a reasonable internship time period or how many signings would qualify a person to do the job alone. Personally speaking, I would have loved to work with an experience notary when I first got my commission. It was like throwing a child into an office and say "do this job because you know how to read and write at the X grade level." You've received training on this subject now do the job.

We won't tell you how much to charge, how to run a business, or how to collect money when people don't pay you. Also, you must provide a fee to the training notary by paying money for the internship or provide free services to earn your keep during the internship.

What do others think of this idea? How would you change what I've wrote to make the idea better?

This post is really my blowing off some steam on the subject.

Reply by Stoli on 8/20/12 12:58pm
Msg #431148

I won’t train my competitor. Will you?

Tell NNA to train their own clients. They got paid to do the job; I didn't.

Reply by MW/VA on 8/20/12 1:04pm
Msg #431151

Sounds good, but I mentored & trained someone &

realized after the fact that I made a huge mistake. This is a highly competitive business, unfortunately. The person I trained then also brought several other people into the biz--ughhhh!
I had to learn most of this on my own & don't necessarily recommend that method. I at least knew to get some training (NNA, numbers sites, etc.) Unforunately, at the time The Signing Registry website was down & I couldn't get much from them.
As Brenda mentioned recently, following this forum is where to get some of the best info available in the industry.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 8/20/12 1:05pm
Msg #431153

I started in this business after a 25-year career

as a real estate closing paralegal and notary. I would have thought twice about it, maybe 3 and 4 times, if someone told me that after all those years of on-the-job training I still had to "intern" in order to work for myself.

And I agree with Stoli - I don't want to train my competition unless that person is going to work with/for me and I get a cut of the fee they bring in. I don't mind answering questions, especially when fellow notaries are at the table and need something answered, but train my competition? Naaahh...I'll pass

Reply by reba on 8/20/12 1:13pm
Msg #431155

Great concept, but most will not agree to help the next guy. Its unfortunate a) most newbies are subjected to a sink or swim environment once they have passed their test and b) that there is rarely any nearby/local mentoring because seasoned notaries are worried about educating their competition. It will be interesting to hear responses.

Reply by Roger_OH on 8/20/12 1:34pm
Msg #431162

With the exception of the witch doctors (I think)...

all the professions you mentioned are LICENSED by, and accountable to, a professional state board or agency, which does require internships, as well as continuing education to maintain that license.

Professional licensure is markedly different from being COMMISSIONED as a notary public. Most states have little or no requirements for notaries in the way of training, examinations, or background checks, so comparison with the professional state boards.

It would be a bit disconcerting to many borrowers if they knew that, at least in Ohio, the crossing guard or a volunteer band parent at their child's school undergoes more scrutiny than the NSA that has just completed the signing of their six-figure refi documents. And that the NSA they met less than an hour ago is walking out the door with their driver's license, SSN, income, bank account numbers, and credit history.

Reply by Stoli on 8/20/12 1:57pm
Msg #431165

Be a Mentor

The NNA collects a hefty fee to guide their victims through the notary exam, but they don’t give practical training for the actual job in the field. Let the NNA provide the training they are being paid to provide.

I can’t count the number of requests I receive to ride along and observe an actual loan signing. The practice is promoted by the NNA in the News Letter, “BE A MENTOR”, as if it’s a good thing! I can think of dozens of reasons why I won’t participate, but the most important factor is confidentiality.

The borrower, title, escrow, lender---everyone --- would need to approve the ride along in advance. Some title companies have actually sent out notices to leave the kids, dogs, cats, flies and fleas at home, along with the bad attitude, flip-flops and shorts.

Not all notaries perform the duties the same way. How does the saying go? If the blind lead the blind, you will both fall in the ditch.

Does anyone remember the notary who took the Chihuahua to her signings in her handbag, ‘for health reasons’?

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 8/20/12 2:20pm
Msg #431167

Re: Be a Mentor

<<Does anyone remember the notary who took the Chihuahua to her signings in her handbag, ‘for health reasons’?>>

Actually, I thought that was Hugh! Doesn't he take Lucy everywhere?

Reply by Stoli on 8/20/12 2:46pm
Msg #431172

Good morning, my friend. n/m

Reply by Teresa/FL on 8/20/12 4:35pm
Msg #431194

Re: Be a Mentor

That was a Florida notary. I think she was from the Jacksonville area.

As I recall, the board went crazy when this subject came up and we had some record-setting threads discussing her situation.

Reply by jba/fl on 8/20/12 8:28pm
Msg #431238

Re: Be a Mentor

OMG - we sure did! There were a few other issues as I recall.

Reply by BrendaTx on 8/20/12 8:17pm
Msg #431237

Stoli - this is for you.

Msg #214931

I ran across that when looking for something else and remembered the name was LC/FL.

Reply by Ilene C. Seidel on 8/20/12 2:34pm
Msg #431170

In addition to what has been said, I doubt SS/Title/homeowners will want someone to "sit in on a closing" That would be a privacy issue and anyone trying it without the hiring party's permission can probably get themselves in deep dodo.

Reply by sueharke on 8/20/12 2:54pm
Msg #431173

Love the interesting comments and agree with most. Let's hope some politician doesn't get the same idea and make this hypothetical idea real (because the state of CA needs money).

Reply by Les_CO on 8/20/12 3:03pm
Msg #431175

With the exception of ‘Attorney States’ virtually no one in this “Signing Agent,” “Remote Closing” business is regulated at all. That’s why there are so many deadbeat SS’s and out and out thieves, crooks, scam artists, and probably convicted felons in the business. Not to mention freshly minted, NNA notaries that have never completed a signing/closing, at are a complete loss as what the normal loan documents are, what they mean, what effect their being signed, agreed, and sworn to have on the signatories, that have never seen a loan package, but say that have done thousands of notaries (maybe some have?) or loan closings. Others that farm-out jobs, and many, many commissioned notaries that no nothing about their States notarial laws, let alone anything of the real estate statutes, recording rules, or federal lending laws. To me it’s amazing that thousands of people getting loans, or refinancing their current loans, that are paying dearly for this service have not just raised holy hell about the service they get, and the competence of some of these totally ignorant, and unprofessional ‘Signing Agents.’ If I had a poorly dressed notary come to my home with all my personal, and financial information, and loan documents, but couldn’t answer any of my questions, I’d throw them out, call Title and fire them, call my LO and tell them to use a different competent Title Company that I am paying big bucks to, for not only insurance, but for their closing costs attributable to my loan. And I would file a complaint with whatever regulatory agencies were involved. JMO

Reply by Stephanie Santiago on 8/20/12 3:06pm
Msg #431177

Confidentiality aspect.... n/m

Reply by FlaNotary2 on 8/20/12 4:36pm
Msg #431195

I agree n/m

Reply by Stoli on 8/20/12 5:10pm
Msg #431199

Here it is, Teresa. 139 responses!

Msg #214931

Reply by Cam/CA on 8/20/12 8:32pm
Msg #431239

Re: Oh my goodness, I remember that thread!

There may have been more to the op ailments.

Reply by BrendaTx on 8/20/12 8:35pm
Msg #431240

Re: Here it is, Teresa. 139 responses!

Oh my soul...I'm slipping. I saw this earlier today because YOU ALREADY POSTED IT.

Reply by jba/fl on 8/20/12 8:57pm
Msg #431245

And Michigan Al was right

Msg #215140

Reply by HisHughness on 8/20/12 9:11pm
Msg #431247

The Chihuahua service dog thread ...

... and the Arizona sheep-loving neighbor of the sibling spouses were absolutely the most memorable threads ever on NotRot. Ye Olde Forum has lost some spice over the years.

Reply by jba/fl on 8/20/12 10:07pm
Msg #431257

Becca, Cali, n/m

Reply by JanetK_CA on 8/20/12 11:31pm
Msg #431276

Re: Becca, Cali,

Right! And the gal from Arizona who had a way with words - and who apparently lived somewhere waaaay different from where I grew up in Tucson! (Thank goodness, from some of the stories she told!)

Reply by Teresa/FL on 8/20/12 10:08pm
Msg #431258

That was almost 5 years ago! What fun we had back then... n/m

Reply by jba/fl on 8/20/12 10:22pm
Msg #431260

OMG - 5 years already? oh, my, this is so clear in memory. n/m

Reply by Stoli on 8/21/12 8:27am
Msg #431290

Hugh is correct: the goat-loving siblings tops all. n/m