As I said earlier, the platform of the Notarize Co. is limited to ID and personal appearance being the reason their software will work in all 50 states. Their "claim to fame" misses at least two other important fundamentals of notary law from ALL 50 states, which are alertness/awareness of the signer and willingness to sign. Those two fundamentals should not and cannot be ignored.
The VA governor needs to hear from notaries in all 50 states, because "Notaries" is claiming compliance for all 50 states. I'm sure many of us have experienced appointments where signers couldn't and wouldn't sign and we halted the appt, gathered our belongings and left the scene. Those stories need to be shouted from the rooftops as they are vital in what we are commissioned to do as notaries - which is to curtail fraud and run-of-the-mill webcam notarizations will CREATE more fraud than they will curtail, especially for the elderly, if those two important fundamentals are ignored.
As I stated in the earlier thread - webcam notarizations, in a limited capacity, can work for the business exec or gov't employee who needs frequent, on-demand notarizations for business purposes. This person has established an on-going and IN-PERSON notarization relationship with a VA notary public over a time period of <for example> at least 2 years. I believe that was VA's intent with webcam notarizations.
One question I have is: What would be the venue for a webcam notarization...VA or the signer's location? Who's feet are more important? If it's the signer's feet, won't that states' notarial laws apply? If so, a VA notary will have to be well-versed in ALL 50 states, notarial laws, PLUS, know recording and real estate laws (i.e. witnesses, attorney states)of all 50 states (i.e. ink color) so as to not get recordable docs rejected. Many notaries already take issue with CA's "penalty of perjury" statement on the acknowledgment so if CA is the venue, VA notaries will HAVE to complete complaint CA acknowledgments and sign "under PENALTY OF PERJURY of the laws of the State of CA" if CA is the venue.
Notaries Co. has opened a pandora's box AND a can of worms. |
