Posted by DocumentDiva on 7/3/07 12:23pm
Msg #198333

Notary / Signing Agent History

Who can tell me what life was like before notary directories? Was the Yellow Pages the only way to find a notary?

What was the first notary directory site on the web? When was it started? Who started it? (If unable to post then please send in a pm)

I like history so I'm just curious.

Reply by Stamper_WI on 7/3/07 12:42pm
Msg #198336

I was a realtor with a commision. They would call realtor offices because they had some familiarity with the doc's. No edoc's but there were some HUGE faxes. I remember seeing an ad in the employment section of the classifieds looking for notaries. a "we will train' thing.
Don't know who that was!
I did business with a 2 woman TC back then and they were doing refinance. It was a small but growing market. They still used local or instate TC's for the titlework.

Reply by Lee/AR on 7/3/07 2:56pm
Msg #198387

Much like Stamper...even started in Wisconsin. Realtor w/Stamp. Received phone call one very slow day in Winter, 1993. Out of boredom, said 'Sure'. Always overnight docs. Sent a one page faxed order....period. No instructions. No faxbacks ('cept the 1 page--Done!)
No hoops, penalties, instructions on how to dress, no fee fusses. Did my first edocs about '97...and they just doubled the normal fee. When you completed it, you faxed same one page back with Tracking #. Did this for 3, 4 years before I knew about Directories, Notary Organizations of any type...but, my, how word did get around that I would 'do signings'. Some 'new' co. told me about... think it was 123...and I found NotRot and watched the NNA slurp up the NASA. Sigh... sure do miss the good ol' days.

Reply by ZeeCA on 7/3/07 1:46pm
Msg #198360

How far back do you want to go? Way back in the day of the traveling doctor and traveling lawyers..........the lawyer did the notarization............

Post offices years and years ago had a notary as did banks...........

Reply by ZeeCA on 7/3/07 1:47pm
Msg #198362

I love history also and read a lot of history based books....

Reply by Roger_OH on 7/3/07 2:24pm
Msg #198373

When I started (early 2000), I believe the only way to find a notary online was thru the findanotary.com feature that NNA had of its members at the time. That's how companies started calling me before I even knew there was such a thing as notaries doing loan signings, so I started doing them.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 7/3/07 2:26pm
Msg #198376

They found me through NASA (National Association of Signing Agents) which was the only way to find a signing agent until Susan Pense sold out to the NNA. I think that Susan Pense coined the term "signing agent"

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 7/3/07 2:29pm
Msg #198378

Re: Document Diva - this link may help

Check out this link:

http://www.nationalnotary.org/common/content/infoDetails.cfm?awardID=48

Reply by BrendaTx on 7/3/07 3:49pm
Msg #198395

Re: Document Diva - this link may help

Thanks, Sylvia...that little story states:

***Among NASA’s success stories are the handicapped elderly man in Eastern Oregon who is now able to support his family through his work as a Notary Signing Agent and a once struggling single mother in Illinois, who was able to quit all her jobs, contract herself out as a Notary Signing Agent, and spend more time with her nine-year-old son.****

And thanks to this field recruiting notaries about three years too long I'll bet that handicapped elderly man can't even pay his light bill and the single more is lucky if she's not back to working three jobs.

Reply by BrendaTx on 7/3/07 3:49pm
Msg #198397

Re: Document Diva - this link may help

*and the single more * = single mother

Reply by DocumentDiva on 7/4/07 12:14am
Msg #198459

Re: Document Diva - this link may help

Thanks for everyone's story. Hopefully we can still continue to make history and money.

Reply by sue_pa on 7/3/07 3:52pm
Msg #198398

Signing agent history - not notary.

In the mid 90s, I found BancServ and Statewide (now defunct -Tina went onto Pinnacle), and Gold Coast (I know you are a lurker Patti - hi!!!) through employment ads in the newspaper. I called and Gold Coast gave me a 'phone interview' - I remember the girl's name was Montana. Fee was $60 for overnight docs from all of them - sign, drop & call in a confirmation. Interjection - BancServ paid $200 (didn't ask, that's what they paid) for faxed docs. I received a new contract from them last week and it appears they are now willing to pay $75 for the same service more than a decade later - think about it people. I don't believe there were message boards at the time - although I am not positive because I didn't have the internet - not even a computer. I then found a direct lender, First Plus Direct, also advertising in the paper for mobile notaries and they paid up to $175 for overnight docs, dependent upon your speed in getting them signed, dropped & returned. I thought I had died and gone to hog heaven. I went to the library and tried looking up things on the internet but I didn't know what to look up because there was no name for this business yet or at least I didn't know what it was. I somehow found Tony M. in Florida and a lady named Helene in Georgia and both faxed me copies of a list of signing services - at the time it was a partial one page sheet. OTX (now everyone's favorite SOX) gave me another list. KMC (one of the first to go under years ago owing a lot of notaries - thankfully not me) told me about NASA. At the same time, Title America decided to pay anyone who was a NASA member $150 for overnight docs. I immediately signed with NASA and my phone began ringing off the hook. EVERY day I say my thank yous to the people 10ish years ago who founded this business and who helped each other - it was give and take - not 'give me'.

Off on a different tangent. I realize I am one of the 'negative' posters on this board. A good portion of that reason is because when this business started, EVERYONE searched, researched, and dug to find out what was going on, how to find business and to share business 'techniques'. We came up with many of the 'standards' and great advice people don't even think twice about today through trial and error - and often times it cost us money to learn from our mistakes - things that seem simple and easy - don't put your own name in as sender on overnight packages - because many of us got billed; don't give a discount to a company for orders in the same vicinity - because when the first one cancels you can't ask for more on the second order; limit your receivables until you know someone's payment history; use an EIN; get EVERYTHING in writing, in spite of what Elizabeth S. says; I could go on and on with the most basic things that we learned the hard way and now those same ways are easily bandied about as a given. I can't count the number of people I helped and who helped me because there were so few of us compared to today's numbers - searching for clients, working through some of the puzzling things we see daily. I see people today asking for the simpliest help when they have no idea what this job entails or WHAT THEIR PLACE IS IN THE PROCESS and I am appalled because of the vast resources available today. Everything changes - notary directories have given anyone and everyone with a few dollars (or even no dollars on this board) a chance to own their own business with no skills, background or training. Although it certainly will never happen, if companies went back to interviewing people before hiring them, a majority of the problems they see today would disappear.

Reply by Lee/AR on 7/3/07 4:17pm
Msg #198407

Absolutely right on, Sue! Particularly the last sentence. n/m

Reply by SueW/Tn on 7/3/07 6:18pm
Msg #198429

Only a few disagreements Sue

First I normally read your posts first because I know I'm going to learn something so to call yourself a "negative poster" is a stretch. I have only been a member of this community for 2 years but I can see the difference over the past few months and I merely attribute it to the "age of entitlement" or more to the point, the cart before the horse. Pioneers equal progress so without those that worked in the trenches in any field there would be few success stories today. In the 60's I experienced things that today would make me rich in a court of law and so did you. That's progress. Our daughters and granddaughters have more opportunity because of those trenches. To everyone that contributed positive things to this particular industry so that I can be a part of it now you have a thousand thank yous. It's never a good idea though to look back...always look forward to better and bigger things.

Reply by BobRogers_FL on 7/4/07 7:20am
Msg #198467

Re: Only a few disagreements Sue

Sue...your advice to look forward and not backward is probably good advice for the younger set, but for old codgers (like me), there is not a whole lot of forward to look forward to, so it is much better and a lot more fun to look back.