Posted by C. Rivera Chicago Notary Services on 5/26/10 2:17pm
Msg #338370

?? for any one that is commissioned as a....

"timeshare commissioner of deeds".... is there a real need for this type of work?

I know that there are only a few states that offer this type of commission (synomous with notary public duties) but was wondering if this type of commission is worth having, and if so, what does one charge?

... feedback from those that are COD's, and actually get paid using this type of commission is greatly appreciated. TIA.

Reply by Robert/FL on 5/26/10 2:25pm
Msg #338375

I believe only FL restricts the duties to timeshares

I'm also in the process of becoming a Commissioner of Deeds for New Hampshire, which allows me to notarize anything that will be used or recorded in New Hampshire. As you know, Cari, I am a Commissioner of Deeds for Florida and as such I can only notarize documents related to timeshares located in Florida, and only when I am physically standing in the Bahamas.

So, how much do I charge? I'll do it for free for whoever is willing to fly/ship me down to the Bahamas to notarize something.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 5/26/10 3:03pm
Msg #338383

Do you spend a lot of time in New Hampshire?

If not, other than being able to notarize wthin New Hampshire without being a commissioned notary there, I don't see the point. Anything we notarize here in FL can be used and recorded in New Hampshire already.

Maybe I'm missing something.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 5/26/10 3:16pm
Msg #338388

Re: Do you spend a lot of time in New Hampshire?

it's just another "title" to add to his resume. It's an ego thing.

Reply by Robert/FL on 5/26/10 3:17pm
Msg #338389

Guess so

kind of like you calling yourself a "certified notary instructor"

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 5/26/10 3:22pm
Msg #338390

Re: Guess so

"kind of like you calling yourself a "certified notary instructor""

Actually I had to be a certified notary instructor to teach the education classes required in Florida to become a notary.
Wasn't a certified notary instructor just to add it to my resume. I was approached to teach the classes and had to be certified to teach them. I was not even seeking to be a notary instructor at the time.

You don't have to be a commissioner of deeds for New Hampshire to have your notarizations accepted in New Hampshire.

But, hey, it is your $75 to buy the title.

Reply by Notarysigner on 5/26/10 4:37pm
Msg #338396

Re: Guess so

You probably were asked because you are approachable and humble. Great that you are able to represent your state as genuine and desirable. I would be proud to have attended your class.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 5/26/10 5:20pm
Msg #338406

Thanks James

I was approached by the chairman of the board of ASN via e-mail asking if I would be willing to become certified and teach their classes. After thinking it over I agreed and then was contacted by the executive director, who arranged my training and certification.
I taught their classes until I started having health issues and was no longer able to travel.

I will always be grateful to the ASN for allowing me the opportunity to work with them.
It's a great organization - and totally for the notary:)

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 5/26/10 3:22pm
Msg #338391

STOP! Please...jeez.. n/m

Reply by MikeC/NY on 5/26/10 3:58pm
Msg #338395

I was wondering the same thing.

After reading the relevant part of the NH manual, I don't understand what the point would be for a commissioned NP in one state to become a Commissioner of Deeds in NH. There's no additional authority involved, and NH is required by the Constitution to accept notarial acts performed in the other 49 states... Plus your feet have to be in NH in order to use that authority.

Maybe it's intended for people in neighboring states who do business in NH and have a need to do notarizations there as part of that business? Just a (lame) guess, but I don't understand the need for the position otherwise. Maybe someone from NH can enlighten us.

Reply by Robert/FL on 5/26/10 9:26pm
Msg #338457

Feet do *not* have to be in NH to exercise powers

Every Commissioner of Deeds shall have the power to:
* Administer oaths, ***both in and out*** of New Hampshire for documents that will be used in New Hampshire

Source: http://www.sos.nh.gov/deeds.htm

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 5/27/10 7:20am
Msg #338477

But you can already do that as FL Notary Public

I don't get it...

Reply by Robert/FL on 5/27/10 7:49am
Msg #338485

Re: But you can already do that as FL Notary Public

It is a convenience to those who intend to use their documents in New Hampshire... the documents are more likely to be accepted without any sort of problem. In addition, it gives me more credibility (in the eyes of a NH attorney, at least) to administer oaths for telephonic depositions to be used in NH, and this, IMO, is a big $$$ opportunity because I am probably one of the very few NH CODs in this area.

Reply by Maureen_nh on 5/27/10 8:58am
Msg #338495

Re: But you can already do that as FL Notary Public

As has been poined out by one of the CA people, the population of LA county alone far exceeds that of our lovely state.
I am all over the internet and have had only one call in the last 10 years for a telephone deposition.
But the state coffers are pretty bare and your contribution is welcome.

Reply by PAW on 5/27/10 9:06am
Msg #338496

Re: But you can already do that as FL Notary Public

Having resided in NH for almost 25 years before moving to FL, I built up a pretty good contact list of attorneys and other legal professionals. In the 10+ years I've been in the Tampa area, only once have I ever been asked by a NH attorney (in his role as a judge) to do a deposition.

Since NH is a tax free state, the coffers do run pretty low. I too appreciate your contribution as part of my family benefits from everything that NH does.

Reply by Robert/FL on 5/27/10 9:16am
Msg #338498

Well, if nothing else...

it will be another pretty certificate on my wall.

Case closed.

Reply by Notarysigner on 5/26/10 4:53pm
Msg #338402

Re: I believe only FL restricts the duties to timeshares

A commissioner of deeds is an officer having authority to take affidavits, depositions, acknowledgments of deeds, etc., for use in the state by which the person is appointed. The office is similar to that of notaries public; thus, commissioners of deeds generally authenticate their acts with some type of official seal.

In the late 19th century, nearly all states had laws allowing for the appointment of commissioners of deeds to act as notaries in other states for the purpose of authenticating documents to be used in the state of appointment. Currently, most states have abolished the office due to the widespread availability of notaries in all states. However, the states of New Hampshire, Texas, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, and New York still have laws allowing such commissioners to be appointed at the discretion of the governor or secretary of state; however, the executive powers of Texas, Maine and Kentucky do not exercise that power and do not actively appoint commissioners.

In Florida

In the state of Florida, Commissioners of Deeds are officers appointed by the Governor to take acknowledgments and administer oaths on documents executed outside Florida, but to be used or recorded in connection with a timeshare property located in Florida.[5] Commissioners are appointed to serve in a particular country and may only act in the country to which they are appointed, but they are not required to actually reside in that country.[6]

The office of Commissioners of Deeds in the state of Florida was first created on January 28, 1831, and at that time such commissioners could authenticate any document to be used in Florida.[7] The commissioner was appointed to one particular U.S. state or a foreign country, and was required to actually live in that state/country. However, the Governor at that time requested that the office be abolished, because he claimed that the office had "been used to facilitate fraudulent acts on some occasions."[8] The office in its then-current form was abolished and replaced by the new form of "Timeshare Commissioner of Deeds" on April 30, 1998.

Reply by C. Rivera Chicago Notary Services on 5/26/10 3:53pm
Msg #338394

Okay, other than Robert, are there any OTHER commissioner

of deeds out there for the states of New Hampshire, Texas, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, and New York?

ROBERT: I'm with you in that if someone paid my ticket, meals, and hotel, to go to the Bahamas to notarize timeshare docs, I'd say, where do I sign!

PLEASE stop arguing with Sylvia. It is just getting tired.

But my question was a serious one.

Have you or ANYONE ELSE, recouped the fee that you paid for that commission by way of actually certifying or doing what ever it is a commissioner of deeds do?? And whats the pay like??

ANY OTHER commissioner of deeds, please respond as well.

Reply by Robert/FL on 5/26/10 5:28pm
Msg #338407

Re: Okay, other than Robert, are there any OTHER commissioner

>>>Have you or ANYONE ELSE, recouped the fee that you paid for that commission by way of actually certifying or doing what ever it is a commissioner of deeds do??<<<

To answer your question, no.

Reply by Hugh Nations Signing Agents of Austin on 5/27/10 9:26am
Msg #338504

This may be a smart move for a general notary

From an Internet marketing perspective, this sort of thing can make sense.

Virtually all my general notary work comes from the Internet. Many times, prospective clients come to me because I am a retired attorney, and they believe that enhances the value of the service they are seeking. It probably doesn't, at least not much, since as a notary public I cannot offer legal input, but they believe it.

The same principle applies to other designations. If your Internet site lists numerous qualifications other than as a notary public, it enhances your stature. It seems to me that would be particularly true if those designations left the impression you were qualified for interstate professional activities. Given the choice between a naked notary [pause for lascivious comments here] with no qualifications listed other than a commission, and a notary with professional memberships and commissions in other states, I think the inclination would be to choose the latter.

Robert is a general notary, I gather, with no interest in real estate closings. Spending $75 for a New Hampshire commission, which is $7.50 over a decade, may be good business for him.

Reply by Robert/FL on 5/27/10 9:30am
Msg #338505

Finally someone who gets it

Yes, these things look good on a resume. Keep in mind that, I am a college student, and in 2 years I will be graduating with my bachelor's degree and looking for permanent employment (and I am not going into the legal profession). Having a notary commission listed on your resume is not all that impressive amongst legal assistants, because almost all of us have them. However, not many can put that they are a Commissioner of Deeds. Most people don't know what a COD is but no one can argue that it sounds impressive.

If that means I have an overinflated ego, so be it.

Reply by C. Rivera Chicago Notary Services on 5/27/10 11:06am
Msg #338520

I asked this question in all seriousness just for that

reason. If it will provide a few extra bucks, and pay for itself in one or two gigs, then great!

The confusing part about some of the actual duties of these commissioner of deeds, and I have not read ALL the COD's duties for the few states that offer this type of commission, is that it appears that the duties are almost identical to that of a general notary public, with the exception of Florida in that they are limited to certifying timshare docs for Florida property.

Robert, what are the benefits in holding a COD for Fl, or any other state that appoints COD's for that matter?

Please englighten us?

Reply by Robert/FL on 5/27/10 11:44am
Msg #338532

Re: I asked this question in all seriousness just for that

CODs used to be common in most, if not all, states. This of course was back in the 19th century where there wasn't very much reciprocity with notarial acts between states. For example, if a Florida land owner needed to sign a deed and he lived in Texas, he would go to a Florida COD in Texas who could notarize the deed and this would enable it to be recorded. I believe - and I'm not 100% positive - that at that time we did not recognize notarial acts performed by notaries in other states, but rather, documents executed outside the state had to be notarized by a judge or magistrate.

CODs generally have power to take acknowledgments and administer oaths in their state of residence on documents to be used in the appointing state. For example, a New Hampshire COD can notarize documents outside the state of New Hampshire, but only documents intended to be used or recorded in the State of New Hampshire. In Florida, CODs can only be appointed to act in countries outside the United States. However, historically that was not the case; in fact, most CODs back then were appointed to states within the union.

Since notaries are so easily accessible in all states, there really is little need for CODs in modern times. Hence, almost all states have done away with the office. I know for a fact that Texas, Kentucky, Maine, and New York do not appoint any more CODs, even though their laws allow such appointments.

I think the reason the office of COD was kept in Florida was because the timeshare resorts here often sold timeshares to residents overseas. So, they had their overseas agents appointed as CODs so they could act as closing agents when the mortgage, etc. was signed. There are less than 100 CODs in Florida, and most of them work for a timeshare resort and do actively use their commissions on a daily basis.

The only benefit I have gotten out of holding a COD commission in Florida is that it adds something to my resume. I tend to think of it as only an "honorary" title, because I don't know if I will ever be able to exercise my authority, which is limited to notarizing Florida timeshare docs in the Bahamas. I am technically a representative of the State of Florida appointed to act in the Bahamas. I am a dual citizen of the Bahamas and have seriously considered taking up residence there. It is still a possibility. Thus, being a COD for the State of Florida in the Bahamas is somewhat of a tribute to my dual citizenship, ties to Florida and the Bahamas, and passion for notarial practices.

To be honest, the only reason I became a COD for New Hampshire was because I could. I really wanted to be a COD for Texas (mostly because their seals look cool), but as stated above, Texas is not appointing CODs.