Posted by PB_CA on 4/13/06 12:16am
Msg #113202

Black or Blue ink?

I did a closing this evening and had the borrower sign in blue. I checked the 25 pages of Closing Instruction and no mention of what color to use. When I was checking the S.S. contract for Invoicing information, I read they require Black to be used. What would you do?

Reply by CaliNotary on 4/13/06 12:30am
Msg #113205

You can either play dumb and send it in the way it is, or give them a call tomorrow and see what they want you to do. Personally, I'd just send it in as is and take my chances, there's no legal reason why they can't process a loan with blue ink, it's just stupid internal rules on their part. Then it just depends on whether they care more about getting the loan processed or sticking to nitpicky rules.

Reply by PB_CA on 4/13/06 12:34am
Msg #113207

Re: Thanks, my thoughts exactly! N/M n/m

Reply by Stephanie Wilson on 4/13/06 12:34am
Msg #113208

You could always photo copy the entire loan package, thus making the blue black. But I agree, I would just send it the way it is....... I have ran in to this and I usually stick with the rules of the T.C as they seem to be the nit-picking ones and if they dont say what color then blue is standard......

Reply by BrendaTx on 4/13/06 12:41am
Msg #113209

**You could always photo copy the entire loan package, thus making the blue black. But I agree, I would just send it the way it is....... I have ran in to this and I usually stick with the rules of the T.C as they seem to be the nit-picking ones and if they dont say what color then blue is standard......**

Whoa Stephanie - how does that work? You aren't the only signature on there...you need the bwrs sigs to be there in original as well. Maybe I misunderstood... 'splain?

Reply by Stephanie Wilson on 4/13/06 12:49am
Msg #113211

She was saying that the SS wanted all signatures in black ink (she read that after the signing) and she did it in blue. A painful way to make a whole package have black signatures would be to photo copy it thus turning the blue ink into black..... It's late, hope you understood that better.... Begining to wonder if I understand myself =-)

Reply by Jenny_CA on 4/13/06 12:58am
Msg #113213

Even w/ your 2nd explanation...don't ever make copies

of signed documents and then try to pass them as originals.

Like Cali said send them in that way or let them know what happened.

It happened to me once the SS asked what state I was in , said I was fine for California because CA does accept/ record w/ blue ink.

Reply by Stephanie Wilson on 4/13/06 1:00am
Msg #113215

IT WAS A JOKE! LATE NIGHT HUMOR

Sorry to anybody that would even take that seriously. I get giddy at 2 am...

Reply by BrendaTx on 4/13/06 1:06am
Msg #113219

Re: IT WAS A JOKE! Alrighty then...

You bagged me...hoof, lice, and stinker.

Reply by PAW on 4/13/06 7:07am
Msg #113235

You'd be surprised ...

... at some of the things we see that notaries (especially in FL, since I'm here too) do. And they actually get recorded that way.

Reply by SarahBeth_CA on 4/13/06 12:48am
Msg #113210

Since when are photo copied docs acceptable especially when it comes to docs that have to be notarized? And recordable docs. Now that suggestion just blows my mind. That is what I would call a Flamacian suggestion. Whatever you do don't copy the package and send it in.

Read all of the ss instructions before the signing next time. In fact read them or three times if you need to.

Reply by Stephanie Wilson on 4/13/06 12:54am
Msg #113212

Whoa!

I was trying to be witty in the suggestion of the photo copies. It was a silly ha ha suggestion on how to make blue ink black.....

Reply by SarahBeth_CA on 4/13/06 12:59am
Msg #113214

Re: Whoa!

Stephanie, your post didn't read as if it had a hint of sillyness. It read as if you were actually suggesting it. The poster could be new as well as other newbies reading the board and without a j/k next to the suggestion they might take that as serious advice. Advice that could have serious repercutions. It just didn't read as a joke.

Reply by Stephanie Wilson on 4/13/06 1:04am
Msg #113218

Re: Whoa!

Sorry I didn't think of Newbies.... I hope nobody would take it seriously..... With the amount of pages in my signings, I don't make enough to photocopy anything.........
SO ANYBODY, NEWBIES, DO NOT PHOTOCOPY!!!!

Reply by Jenny_CA on 4/13/06 1:02am
Msg #113216

Re: Whoa!

I am glad you clarified that, perhaps I don't have much of a sense of humor but someone new to the biz and stressed might just consider doing that....you never know. ( not saying that the original poster would)

Reply by Leon_CO on 4/13/06 1:53am
Msg #113220

** What would you do? **

I have had this situation come up a few times. The confirmation may not always stipulate what color ink to use, so I'll call (or email) and ask. One time I got an answer back saying they wanted blue. Another time I got an answer saying they wanted black. So you never know for sure unless you ask, or it's spelled out in the instructions. Good luck.

Reply by CaliNotary on 4/13/06 2:47am
Msg #113223

You call and ask what color ink to use if they don't specify? If they want a specific color used it's their responsibility to tell us, not our responsibility to make extra phone calls to double check. I'll just usually use blue, unless the borrower is using their own black pen.

Reply by christiSocal on 4/13/06 4:40am
Msg #113227

How bout glitter blue??? ;) j/k new people n/m

Reply by GF_CA on 4/13/06 6:18am
Msg #113230

Re: How bout if is a mix? :)

I had a couple where they suppose to sign in blue, but the bushand use to switch to his back pen.... well I call the SS they said was fine.

Reply by cmd_NH on 4/13/06 6:46am
Msg #113234

Re: I would prefer to use blue....

as it is easier to see that it is an original that way. But my preference doesn't seem to matter. If instructions specifically say "BLUE INK" that's what I do, If not I use black.

Reply by PAW on 4/13/06 7:21am
Msg #113237

Re: I would prefer to use blue....

Almost every local title company (here in FL) that I've worked with, recommends that the signer and the notary complete all written items, including signatures, in BLUE ink. Even the pens with the title company name and logo, are blue. As long as the ink is reproducible, it is acceptable by the state. This is not to say that some lenders are very specific in their instructions, like "signatures ONLY in blue, all other written text must be in black."

The Florida statutes only dictates that the color of the ink for the notary seal must be “photographically reproducible black ink.” [F.S.A. 117.05(3)(a)]

Reply by NCLisa on 4/13/06 7:49am
Msg #113241

Re: I would prefer to use blue....

In this day and age even red ink photocopies well. The rules for black and blue ink go back 20 years when copy machines only copied black well, and even blue ink was a problem. With the way technology is today, the only think that doesn't copy is the flourescent yellow highlighter. Even the gold & orange highlighters photocopy now.

When I was an escrow officer and a real estate paralegal, I only kept blue pens in the office. I wanted an easy way to tell the copies from the originals. Nothing worse than training a new assistant that sends the copies back to the lender because they can't tell the difference.
With gel pens and the fine point marker type pens, some of them don't bleed through the back of the paper or produce an indentation, so it can become tough to tell a photocopy of black ink from an original.

Reply by Sherri_NWA on 4/13/06 12:18pm
Msg #113343

Re: I would prefer to use blue....

PAW, the courthouses here in Arkansas and Missouri have the same stipulations. They will kick them back if they think it is a copy. ~~Sherri in Arkansas

Reply by Rhoda/CA on 4/13/06 10:20am
Msg #113282

Re: How bout if is a mix? :)

One time I actually filled out the Acknowledgement in black but signed my notary in blue. I couldn't believe it. This was a long, ardeous signing and I blew it. Ugh.

Reply by Dee_Fla on 4/13/06 2:57pm
Msg #113404

Re: How bout if is a mix? :)

oH Rhoda.... me too. I 'm trying to think who it is that request that. It was like...ok, let's make life a little more confusing.

Whatever the case, I've always signed in blue...it does show it as the original document comoparing to the black. But I sign in blue unless it otherwise specified to sign in black.

Reply by MonicaFL on 4/13/06 8:04am
Msg #113244

Well, I had thishappen just theother day and, since the package was so small (25 pages) I asked the borrowers if they would mind re-signing the pages of THEIR copy and I just gave them the ones that were in blue. All went well. JMOPO

Reply by PB_CA on 4/15/06 11:17am
Msg #113746

OK! I've been very busy with signing for the past two days and thought I would catch up with what was going on in Notary land and I see all the replies to the ink issue. I mailed the docs back without saying anything and all must be good because I have not heard a word about it. In fact the SS called for me to do another signing today and next week. But I have learned to keep better notes on what each SS request. I write those request on the front of their file folder.