Posted by NCsignguy on 9/21/07 8:43am
Msg #212386

Notary Fee question

Please don’t reposed with “what ever you think a fair fee is for your work it your business”.
Here is the question, if someone call you to notarize 1-2 signatures, 1-2 pages and you need to travel to there house 10 minutes both ways what is the fee you charge? I won’t leave my house unless I can get 50.00. When I tell people this they say aren’t you only supposed to charge a dollar or two? I don’t really care to go into the entire detail of travel time, gas, signing my journal etc. My theory is if I call any other professional to come to my house the minimum they charge is 50.00 just to look at and issue. What does anyone else charge for just a notarization?

Reply by Charm_AL on 9/21/07 8:46am
Msg #212388

$25.00 in my area to travel plus the notary stamp fee I'm allowed to charge.

Reply by jba/fl on 9/21/07 8:55am
Msg #212392

Meet me at McDonald's, not even 1/4 mi. from my home office, bring papers and $10 + notary stamp fee allowed to charge and call me when you get there. To your home, office, etc: $25 travel + not. fee

Their choice - time is of the essence and I will not wait on them.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 9/21/07 9:58am
Msg #212410

This is what I do, too. I have a Starbucks, Panera, and public library all approx. 2 miles from my house (I don't allow people to come to my home). I meet people there for $10 plus notary fees. (I think $15 to meet them would also be a fair price.) These are public places that are convenient to me, and I can usually combine the trip with something I need to do in the shopping center anyway. You don't get rich, but I use this as my pocket money.

Reply by BetsyMI on 9/21/07 8:52am
Msg #212389

Let's just say TWO signatures and 10 minutes both ways...in Michigan I can charge $10 per notarization and a travel fee. For 10 minutes away I would probably charge a $10 travel fee, so total $30 for the job including two notarizations. But I still find that figure turns most people off and they say they'll call someone else. Fine by me.

Sometimes I'm at the health club or out in the garage cleaning out the car or whatever, and it means stopping that, going in and taking a shower, getting 'dressed up', and getting to where we're going to sign. Not worth less than $30 in my opinion. That's probably too low. If you feel $50 is what you want to charge, that's your business.

If I really was in the garage or the health club as I said, going out for one signature for $20 would definitely not be worth it. It seems like private notarizations always need to be done 'right now'. If they want to wait until I'm on my way somewhere else and I'm already dressed, I'll gladly do it for the $20 or $30.

If they balk at $20 or $30 I mention that the UPS stores have a notary on staff for less money.

Reply by Becca_FL on 9/21/07 8:57am
Msg #212393

You need to start with your state manual to answer this question. I don't know what fees a NC notary is allowed to charge, so I won't comment on the fees you should charge. In Florida, we are allowed to charge $10 per stamp + a travel fee.

Reply by Les_CO on 9/21/07 9:05am
Msg #212395

I tell them "I do mostly loan signings, for $125 per" I tell them where the local Kinkos is, and a local package/mail/PO box store that does simple notary work. I also say you can take it to your bank, or local real estate office. If you can't find someone call me back. That usually works. I don't want to bother with $5 fees. If they have a problem, (like on a Sunday) and they come to me, I usually do it for free. If they can't travel (nursing home, or an invalid) My fee depends on their financial situation from $0 to$50.

Reply by LJ on 9/21/07 9:41am
Msg #212402

I was called by an attorneys office to notarize 1 page at a Dr's office 15 min from me. I was to verify that there were 303 pages in the patients medical chart, which meant I had to count them, but again 1 notarization. I asked for $50 and it was not a problem. I get to the dr's office and I was told they had to print them so I could count them. Thank goodness they had a laser printer. And, it was not 303 pages, it was 517 with lab reports. I counted as they printed and verified and notarized the nurses signature on the affidavit. I was there 1/2 hr. Total time was 1 hr. $50 an hour is definetely worth it to me. They overnighted me the check the next day. I would do that all day.

Reply by Roger_OH on 9/21/07 11:04am
Msg #212423

Question LJ...

Since the counting of pages is not a notarial act, could you not have had the nurse verify the number of pages and include that verification as part of the doc that you notarized his/her signature on?

I wouldn't want to be held responsible that all the pages were or were not in the file;
I'd rather have the signing nurse attest to the number, and notarize his/her signature to that effect.

Reply by LJ on 9/21/07 11:49am
Msg #212428

Roger - I asked the same question

when the attorney called me. I reminded him that I was/could only verify the signature on the aff. and that I was not responsible for the number of pages in the patients chart nor what they said. He understood, agreed and just asked me to count the pages with the nurse and verify that she wrote down that number on the aff.

So, that is what we did. We counted them as they came out of the printer together. The nurse filled in the affidavit, I ID'd her, she signed and I notarized her signature.

Reply by Les_CO on 9/21/07 1:55pm
Msg #212482

Re: Roger - I asked the same question

If you're going to "diverisfy" you'll find you must do more than just notarize documents.
I've done a couple dozen medical affidavits, this year, and other things for law firms, and insurance companies, etc. One administering a oath to a guy here for a Fl court, while the Judge listened on the phone. Another going down to the dept of records and picking up a deat certificate. Some notary, some signing agent, some courier, some mailman, all part of the job.

Reply by Todd/OH on 9/21/07 4:13pm
Msg #212516

I would charge $20 for something simple and local like that.