Posted by Gema Wood on 5/10/07 5:00pm
Msg #189749

Charging question in California

I am a certified notary signing agent who is just starting and I have a direct client who has a set of loan documents that need to be notarized, but that I need to notarize only the Trust Verification and the Deed of Trust. The fees for notarizing loan documents in California are between $50 and $150.

Since the client said that I need to notarize only two documents within this loan package, should I be charging her between $50-$150 or less? Please enlighten me. I feel confused.

Thank you.

Reply by Charles_Ca on 5/10/07 5:25pm
Msg #189754

The max allowed by law is $10 per signature...

If you are providing other services then charge according to what the cost is you and how much of a profit you want to make!

Reply by ivanafive on 5/10/07 6:02pm
Msg #189771

Good for you landing a good client right out of the gate! If docs are overnighted to you, charge $150 for 1st package (more if 1st/2nd, etc.) If docs are e-mailed charge more ($175-$200) The number of notarizations within the package doesn't matter since you will be going to the borrower's home and signing the entire package.

Reply by Susan/CA on 5/10/07 6:46pm
Msg #189788

If you by a client meaning a borrower not a lender or mortgage broker called you to notarize a couple of documents out of a loan package I would assume they are not planning on paying more than a trip fee and 10.00 per signature. On the other hand if it is a lender, broker, title co. etc. that called you then they expect you to monitor the signing of the entire package and therefore you can usually get more. I am finding that people calling me with these types of requests are normally the signers themselves and they often times will search around until they find a notary willing to do this for the lowest fee. So .. it depends on the situation and then you can quote accordingly.

Reply by Terri_CA on 5/10/07 7:14pm
Msg #189799

Others may have already stated this:

If you're asked to go to them, and notarize only those two documents, then you are not acting as a Notary Signing Agent, but rather a Notary... period. You should charge a travel fee plus up to the California Allowed Maximum of $10 per signature notarized.

However, if you've been asked to show up, present each document, making sure that each signed document is signed properly, etc., and you notarize the required documents, then you would charge $150 to $200. As your time is worth money and you're being asked to perform other services, other than just notarial services.

Terri

Reply by Joe Ewing on 5/10/07 9:46pm
Msg #189812

Gema you will eventually find out that there are many ways a Notary Public can obtain income. The most lucrative by far is by focusing on becoming a NSA (notary signing agent) . NSA's are paid a flat pre-negotiated fee for carrying loan documents to and from a borrowers home. The flat fee is designed to cover all expenses including notarizations and most important by accepting the fee the professional NSA also accepts the responsibility of the signing. On this occasion, your client (borrower/signer) is assuming the responsibility. Therefore you can only charge a travel fee and a signature fee. Do not attempt to conduct a loan signing, do not offer to review the documents for mistakes or offer to drop off the documents at an overnight drop box. Ask for your fee in cash before you leave.

Reply by Charles_Ca on 5/11/07 11:29am
Msg #189858

This is directed at no one in particular but I found it

Interesting. The original poster said:

<<<I am a certified notary signing agent who is just starting and I have a direct client who has a set of loan documents that need to be notarized, but that I need to notarize only the Trust Verification and the Deed of Trust. The fees for notarizing loan documents in California are between $50 and $150.

Since the client said that I need to notarize only two documents within this loan package, should I be charging her between $50-$150 or less? Please enlighten me. I feel confused.>>>

There was no mention of travel. There was little mention of anyting else but I notice that a lot of the responses responded to things that were not asked. All I got out of the question was that the OP was aking how much to charge for two notarizations. In California its $10 max per signature. I am just curious where the other information came from. I find in the field that frequently people tend to read things into stuff that just isn't there and it leads to a lot of misunderstandings and errors. Maybe I'm just being too simplistic.

Reply by Gema Wood on 5/11/07 12:33pm
Msg #189870

Re: This is directed at no one in particular but I found it

Charles, this was my posting. I am going to be charging for a travel fee, but Terri was able to verbalize better than I what I was trying to ask but really didn't do such a great job at. Figuring out what to charge depends on whether I would simply be notarizing a document or whether I would be in charge of presenting the loan signing documents to the borrower and make sure that all the needed signatures were taken. In this case, I have found out that I am only going to be notarizing and not acting as a notary signing agent.

Now, the client told me that there are going to be two signatures for both the Trust Verification and the Deed of Trust. Would I charge $10 per signature on each document? Thank you for your response and I will try to be more concise with my questions in the future.

Gema Wood

Reply by Charles_Ca on 5/11/07 1:03pm
Msg #189875

This exactly is the point of my question...

did Terri impute what you were asking. I study interpersonal communication at great depth because it helps me develop my marketing and my sales skills. I thought your question was very concise and I was wondering how the others read into what you were asking. What if that was not what you were asking. You gave no other information. So I am not trying to stir up controversy, I am simply curious for my own selfish reasons. I find that a lot of things happen here because of the baggage carried by some people regarding the phraseology and definition of things as used by other posters. I have seen flame wars erupt because of something that someone said in perfect innocence. So I was not trying to send you a subliminal message that your post was inadequate, I was curious why others would not take a question and just answer it like I did, literally. That is all that you asked since you gave no additional information. For all I knew from your post the affiant was coming to see you. There are people who ask the most outrageous things on this forum. I believe that communication is the only media we have of exchanging thougths and if our communication is imperfect we don't effectively exchange ideas. So don't take offense, I really just wanted to know!