Posted by Shelly Wilcox on 6/10/06 10:34pm
Msg #125192

Notary Signing

Does anyone have work out there? I've just moved to the San Jose, CA area and I am looking to start notarizing up here. Thanks for your help.

Reply by Korey Humphreys on 6/10/06 11:02pm
Msg #125195

With thanks to Roger/OH, Brenda/TX and many other contributors.

The veteran posters of NotRot become impatient when so many new folks appear on notary forums and message boards exhibiting some sense of entitlement because they completed a signing agent course. Many come to the boards asking basic knowledge questions that should have been learned by studying their state's notary law.

You must be a Notary FIRST and a signing agent second. STUDY the rules of your state, read the boards, and take a training course before you take on the rather large responsibility of someone's home loan into your hands. If you screw it up, you can be SUED!

Understand, we were all new once, have seen our share of weird docs and unusual situations, and do not hesitate to help with a legitimate question. However, we've also earned the right to expect some semblance of professionalism from others who would share our title. Don't just explode onto the boards asking questions that someone with the title of Notary Public after their name should be reasonably expected to know. If you don't know the difference between an ack and a jurat, or which name goes in the "sworn before me by.." blank, then you have not earned the the title of Notary Public, and you certainly should not be conducting loan signings until you do. But we do this for a living and don't have time to answer the same questions over and over and over. . .

If you think you are being treated rudely here, it will pale in comparison to how you will be treated by companies and their borrowers after you have butchered someone's $300,00 loan docs and caused them to lose their rate lock. What you may perceive as rudeness from us is, in reality, something that may prevent you from making a colossal mistake in the future. Take the responsibilty of learning all you can about the laws and exactly what it means to be an officer of your state. Don't view this as just a hobby for extra money, it's a serious business,and should be treated as such. You have to have the proper equipment, licenses/state registrations, etc, to operate legally and professionally.

You expect the mechanic who works on your brakes to know what he/she is doing, and they are not turned loose upon customers until they do. The public, lenders, and SS expect a similar standard of professionalism from us as notaries, and it's YOUR responsibility to meet that standard. It's not rudeness to be told to do your research first, it's an attempt at re-educating you before you do some real damage by not knowing something your title says you should. Failure to do so will only lead to the continued lowering of the notary bar, and it will be just a matter of time before incompetent notaries lead to the establishment of more attorney-only states in which notaries may not perform loan signings.

To view the "newbie" recommendations of experienced notary signing agents, use the orange Search button on the Notary Talk homepage and find message #33325. Read it, including all additional posts to it, print it, study it. Use the orange Search button to look for answers to questions you still have. Then, if your questions have not been answered, post a message on the board and ask us - but not before you've done everything you can think of to get the information yourself.


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P.S.: I stole this from Marlene ***sssshhhh!***

Reply by Brooke Squyres on 6/10/06 11:32pm
Msg #125198

Good Luck Silicon Valley is awash in notaries...

which is why I don't cover that area,,,,,, if you can muster what it takes to market, market,market, and still survive= go for it. Good Luck!

Reply by Roger_OH on 6/10/06 11:36pm
Msg #125199

Enter your zip code on the "find a notary" tab and see how much competition you have in your area. That may well answer your question.

Reply by Kelly M Robertson on 6/11/06 7:39am
Msg #125224

Don't "WORRY" about your competition

But, of course, take Roger's advice and do a zip search, being aware of what you're up against.

It's easy to do a better job than "your competition" and they may not be competition at all. I have been "sloppy seconds" on quite a few split signings this year and it's clear that many, many LSA"s have no clue what they're doing, evident by just taking a look at how they complete their Acknowledgements. Eiyiyi - incomplete, some not filled out at all , crappy-looking seal impresings and some super sloppy.

I've also been the lucky one to "clean up the mess" on a few baaaaad signings but certainly benefit by being considered "the saviour" along with some great money for saving the day and now, continued business from those escrow officers.

Reply by MistarellaFL on 6/12/06 10:59am
Msg #125386

Ditto, Kelly

There are quite a few agents in my area that offer loan signing services
for much less than I (50% less in some cases). It has been my experience
that they will be utilized 1-5 times before I am approached by the hiring parties.
By that time, they will pay me (almost) anything I ask, as they are spending
a small fortune to get the docs corrected due to notary and/or signing agent
mistakes. SOME agents want an addional fee to go out and correct THEIR OWN
mistakes, and for awhile, the hiring parties agreed.
Then they realized they were spending AT LEAST what I initially quoted to get the
docs signed, and a light bulb went off over their heads.
I do at last one "repair job" per week, and I get the continued business from
the hiring party.
It is absolutely important to know your states notarial laws and regulations,
as well as the requirements in role of signing agent (including recording requirements).
Often I come to the boards to ask out-of-state signing agents about recording requiements
for their state, so that I can inform the hiring party and get it done right the FIRST time.
Some think that's over and above, but I have to consider my reputation in the field and
WANT them to call me next time, knowing that I will do it right the FIRST time.