Posted by Stamper_WI on 4/8/11 12:42pm
Msg #379163

Should they be doing this?

I call a call from Applied Technologies asking for "the notary". What they wanted was a basic title search and make copies of the Deed, mortgage and any leins. To me that requires a TP license.
I would think their customer and insurerers would expect the TP license as well.

Reply by BrendaTx on 4/8/11 1:12pm
Msg #379166

Anyone can do it in Texas. Should it be that way? No. Probably not.

Reply by Stamper_WI on 4/8/11 2:28pm
Msg #379182

I turned it down, wasn't comfortable with it, Could have done it easily but worried about liability.
Must be the day for different kinds of calls. Someone called me to go to a house and witness 4 things a brother is going to take out of a house and notarize a document he signs saying he did so. It's for a bank.
Haven't heard back as they weren't sure when this would be and I am out of state for awhile next week.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 4/8/11 2:53pm
Msg #379187

Maybe not a TPL required but most certainly

knowledge and expertise (and any required licensing and liability insurance) in title searching and abstracting...can't believe they'd expect a notary to do this...talk about cutting corners!! Dangerous practice here...

Reply by BrendaTx on 4/8/11 3:48pm
Msg #379196

but Linda, you DO know that in the refi boom days

notaries did this all the time...Right? "Bring downs". They paid notaries $50 to do bring downs. They should have paid abstractors $75 or more to do that. An abstractor's certificate of "Nothing Further..." should have been required.

I remember that LFC did it, and another title company did it.

I once discussed it with one of LFC's lender client/LO-types. He offered me work doing bring downs (for not enough money), then he told me that he was also a notary who worked for $55 a package...AND, that his wife owned an SS, and that he could provide me a really great web designer who could set up a zip code feature like not rot has. It was right about that time I wondered if he was sipping it, snorting it, or shooting it. The purity was not in question.


(No. I did not do it.)

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 4/8/11 4:10pm
Msg #379199

I wasn't in the SA business back then...I was with

a law firm - and we contracted a searcher - an attorney who issued Certificate of Title from root or from last date recorded to present; my boss did the bringdown when he went to record the mortgage, deeds or what have you.

IMO far far too much liability to expect a notary to do searches - you really need to know what you're doing to do a proper title search - bringdowns may be do-able for less than 30 day period but a full search...nah...not me.

Reply by BrendaTx on 4/8/11 4:18pm
Msg #379202

Re: I wasn't in the SA business back then...I was with

*bringdowns may be do-able for less than 30 day period but a full search...nah...not me.*

Nope...they were not asking enough to be a full bring-down!

That requires a search in civil records, tax records, etc., in my opinion...even for a bring down!

Reply by C. Rivera Chicago Notary Services on 4/8/11 3:47pm
Msg #379195

couldn't they have done it on-line from the county's office?

assuming its automated like my county is...anyone can get this info....

Reply by Stamper_WI on 4/8/11 5:02pm
Msg #379204

Re: couldn't they have done it on-line from the county's office?

Not this county. I think it is one of the poorer counties in the state.

Reply by dickb/wi on 4/8/11 5:29pm
Msg #379207

Re: couldn't they have done it on-line from the county's office?

all the money in that county is in west salem on a cul de sac.....lol