Posted by JO_PA on 7/29/06 12:50am
Msg #135952

Sylvia, heard from Celebrate Adoption today...

Their sign-up portion of their site is still under construction, so I e-mailed them yesterday. They responded today and asked for my info, which they are going to add to the list.
For any notaries that can find it in their hearts to donate their time for a worthwhile cause, please contact them.
www.celebrateadoption.com

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 7/29/06 6:30am
Msg #135968

That's great Jo
It is a worthwhile cause.

Reply by JO_PA on 7/29/06 7:39am
Msg #135975

Re: Sylvia, I forgot to add

Thank you for telling me about it. I told them I heard about it from you (in a post a while ago)and that I would post it on Notary Rotary.
Being adopted myself, I have really strong feelings about this. I feel that, in some small way, I'll be able to give back something.

Reply by PJM/MI on 7/29/06 7:05am
Msg #135973

Re: THANKS!

Thank you for the website link.. I signed up.

Reply by Michelle/AL on 7/29/06 8:10am
Msg #135977

I also appreciate the reminder. You should continue to post this info from time-to-time. I signed up this morning. I've not notarized adoption papers in the past. Have any of you? Is there anything unique about these docs?

Reply by BrendaTx on 7/29/06 9:23am
Msg #135981

Michelle - If you mean is there anything unique about the documents as far as where to find the signature lines, does the bwr need to side upside-down, so on and so forth, I cannot speak to that because I have never done Celebrate Adoption's packages. I have done adoptions, but not those.

However, if you mean notarization procedures, you do every single notarization exactly according to your rules no matter what it's attached to.

Once when my son was fifteen, or so, he received a coconut in the mail from Hawaii. It was not in a box. It was just shoved into the mailbox with a tag attached to it with our address on it.

Now, suppose that address tag came with a statement on it that he had received it and he needed to swear to the fact by jurat. He could go straight to any notary and raise his right hand and do the swearing. The notary would not need to know anything special about notarizing a statement attached to a coconut. The notary would follow normal notary procedures.

The new generation of notaries who have been drawn to the commission qualifications for notary because it as a way to make money have missed an important point. A notary is a notary is a notary. It is not the notary's job to learn special techniques relative to packages of any type.

They must learn notary rules and learn to be a notary.

The notary must understand the real function of a notary and stop interpreting their jobs as something other than a disinterested third party who identifies a signer to be the real person who appeared before the notary and made a statement of acknowledgment of a signature they placed upon a document or to swearing that they are making a statement under oath, verifying facts or whatever notarial act they are providing.

Loan signers are glorified couriers who know the places to point and sign and how to check the RTC date count. They also happen to be notaries and that part of the business does not vary.

This is not to say you do not understand this, but to make a point that too much importance is placed on what a notary public does relative to various kinds of documents. Every document should be the same for the notary. The notary notarizes the signatures properly by the state's notary public rules...that's it. That's all a notary does.

I am going to repost this every time I read a question about "what do I watch for?" The point of this is, "just notarize the documents properly." Period. End of story.

Any notary who knows how to notarize properly is prepared to be a notary for any type of package...even coconut statements.

Reply by Becca_FL on 7/29/06 11:17am
Msg #135989

I think what people are forgetting or possibly...

never learned is that our function is to Notarize signatures. Period, the end.

You are NOT Notarizing the document, you are Notarizing the signature of the person signing the document.

What ARE these NSA factories teaching people anyway?

Reply by Michelle/AL on 7/29/06 11:33am
Msg #135998

You misunderstood my question....

Sorry to ocnfuse you Brenda. My question wasn't that clear. That's okay, I'll email Jo directly about CelebrationAdoption.

Reply by JO_PA on 7/29/06 11:40am
Msg #136003

Re: Michelle, I haven't done one yet but

I believe Sylvia might be a better source of info. The site itself explains some of what's involved.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 7/29/06 12:24pm
Msg #136014

Re: Michelle, I haven't done one yet but

I haven't done one through them yet - although I have been listed for a few years now.
They wouldn't be the ones calling though, they just provide the list of notaries willing to do them and the adoptive parents would be the ones contacting the notary.

I did do an adoption notarization a few weeks ago, it was just a document signed by the prospective adoptive father. (He was adopting his new wife's child).

Reply by Michelle/AL on 7/29/06 12:28pm
Msg #136016

Re: Michelle, I haven't done one yet but

Will do, Jo. If you do get called soon let me how it goes! Thanks again.

Reply by JO_PA on 7/29/06 1:14pm
Msg #136021

Re: I'd be happy to let you know n/m

Reply by BrendaTx on 7/29/06 3:13pm
Msg #136035

Re: You misunderstood my question....don't think so.

You asked if there was anything unique about the adoption documents.

My post address that notaries don't need to know anything about the uniqueness of a document. They only need to notarize signatures.

Where was I confused?

Reply by Giselle_CA on 7/30/06 1:17am
Msg #136065

"I've not notarized adoption papers in the past. Have any of you? Is there anything unique about these docs?"

I was called a couple of months ago from my listing at the adoption website.

The couple needed an Employment Verification Form and a General Physical
Examination For Adoption Application by Examining Physician acknowledged.

I met with them at their place of employment for the first document (as you are
notarizing the employer's signature) and at a hospital for the second (as you are
notarizing the Doctor's signature). I hope this helps a little.

The couple also had to do a dossier:

Dossier Preparation

A dossier is a collection of documents describing your family. This consists of documents such as marriage certificates, medical reports, police clearance letters, and numerous other documents. Think of it as the documentation that supports all of the information in the homestudy. A completed dossier will be required for all international adoptions. Every dossier must be authenticated. The authentication process may include apostilles, Great Seal, and blue flags. Most authentications are obtained from the Secretary of State, Consulates and Counties. Fees for authentication process vary. In most states the apostille is obtained from the Secretary of State’s office and the fee per apostille varies.

Reply by SharonMN on 7/30/06 1:09pm
Msg #136101

Notarizing a statement attached to a coconut


Brenda, this is the best example I've ever seen. Way better than my example about "My favorite flavor of ice cream is chocolate. Signed and sworn....."

Note, however, that if too many of these requests started coming in, we'd be getting people asking, "How do I notarize a coconut?" rather than the REAL question, "How do I notarize a signature on/attached to a coconut"

BrendaTX wrote: The notary would not need to know anything special about notarizing a statement attached to a coconut. The notary would follow normal notary procedures.

Reply by BrendaTx on 7/30/06 1:19pm
Msg #136103

Re: Notarizing a statement - Sharon - In the interest

of helping get this message across...where do you suppose there is the disconnect of understanding?

Where is the point being missed?

I was a notary for so long before signing loan docs that I cannot understand where the problem is.

Your thoughts which are so similar to mine about this, and apparently Bob's, and Becca's (recent posts) are very appreciated.

I am NOT trying to be mean, but I think it is being seen as rude. It's not about US handling documents and looking for twists and turns, it is about learning what being a notary is about before becoming a loan signer, closer, a signing agent, or whatever we are this week.

Theoretically there oughta be a law to make sure these classes explain there is a very definite difference between notary and someone who totes documents to a bwr. Until there is, our commissions are a mockery.

Reply by BrendaTx on 7/30/06 1:21pm
Msg #136105

Re: Notarizing a statement - Sharon - forgot to say...

I don't want more laws...just wish the was a very serious lesson on the difference between a document signer and a notary public.

Reply by SharonMN on 7/30/06 2:00pm
Msg #136120

Disconnect between notary and specialized knowledge

I think the disconnect occurs because the people that HIRE notaries don't know what a notary is. They just know that someone told them to get this stuff notarized. Therefore, when approached by the general public, notaries are put in the awkward position of either :

1. Saying "Go see a lawyer and figure out what you want" (technically correct but annoying to the person who came to the notary for services) or
2. Being helpful and helping the person obtain/draft a form, fill it out, etc. (good customer service but UPL).

Also, when title officers (or adoption agencies, etc.) that have extensive background in certain documents hire NSAs, they often expect the NSA to have the same knowledge they do. I've seen questions on signing service tests that go way beyond what a NSA should be expected to know. But the simple fact is, that if you know the answer, and can catch mistakes, you are a better person to hire than the person that doesn't or can't. I think a problem arises when people that hire notaries think that just because one ex-title officer notary they hired went above and beyond and knew how to explain a HUD or whatever, they can expect this service to be done correctly by any notary. Personally, I find it a little scary what some companies entrust to an untrained and unsupervised individual they find on a database.

Notaries who do have knowledge of loan documents and perform most of their notary work as loan signing agents often forget that they don't need to be as familar with any other document they notarize - so they try to become an "certified adoption signing agent" or whatever when all that is needed is a simple, regular notarization.

Reply by BrendaTx on 7/30/06 2:10pm
Msg #136122

Re: Disconnect between notary and specialized knowledge

Very good food for thought - I think you are right! I couldn't see the forest for the trees. Thank you.

**Notaries who do have knowledge of loan documents and perform most of their notary work as loan signing agents often forget that they don't need to be as familar with any other document they notarize - so they try to become an "certified adoption signing agent" or whatever when all that is needed is a simple, regular notarization.**

Reply by MaryP/PA on 7/29/06 11:38am
Msg #136002

I just sent them an email to register as well. The lawyer I work for does a lot of adoptions and it sure is wonderful to help these children get a new stable and loving family. My husband and I have even talked about adopting as well.