Posted by Saul Leibowitz on 2/15/11 4:38pm
Msg #372900

Business is booming

Got a call from someone in my suburb of Chicago who found my name on line; she needs me to notarize her signature on a form for the Cook County Assessor's office. This form will entitle her to a Senior Citizen's Exemption on her real estate tax bill.
I didn't want her coming to my house so I will drive the 1.5 miles to her house to do this. Illinois doesn't allow for high Notary fees, but I'm a senior myself and have empathy. I will simply do this as a kindness; I did tell her that her bank might do this for nothing.
At least there are no packages to fax back.

Reply by LKT/CA on 2/15/11 5:47pm
Msg #372908

<<<I didn't want her coming to my house so I will drive the 1.5 miles to her house to do this.>>>

Any coffee shop or fast food eatery make good, neutral meeting places. If the customer pays you with cash but only has a 20 twenty dollar bill, you're right where you can get change made. If your caller requested that you come to her home, that's fine, but you said you didn't want her coming to *your house*......I don't notarize at my home either.

Even when people ask where my "office" is, I just tell them I am mobile and either must travel to their home or office or meet them at Starbucks. They have no problem meeting me at Starbucks - in fact many prefer it than my coming to their home.

Always offer the option of meeting the person at a neutral place such as a coffee shop or fast food eatery, there's practically one on every corner - unless you're rural.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 2/15/11 6:28pm
Msg #372918

Agree with you, LKT. Since the max notarization fees here in VA are $5 per, I keep two $5 bills in my notary bag and that's what I use for change. When I use one, I quickly replace it at my earliest opportunity and that seems to work great for handling change on my private notary jobs. I charge a small travel fee to meet them at Starbucks.

Reply by LKT/CA on 2/15/11 6:54pm
Msg #372922

For fun, I'm thinking of the food places I've met customers at to notarize (general and loan signing):

Starbucks
Wendys
In N Out Burger
Straw Hat Pizza
Carrows Restaurant
IHOP
Carl's Jr.
McDonalds
Outback Steakhouse - the bar
Mimi's Cafe
Cocos Bakery & Restaurant

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 2/15/11 7:00pm
Msg #372924

Starbuck's
IHOP
Truck stop (that was fun...9pm back of a pickup truck off the interstate - we're passing cash back and forth...LOL)
McDonald's
Grand Buffet
Busy Bee/Hungry Howie's Pizza

Reply by LKT/CA on 2/15/11 7:25pm
Msg #372925

Oh, glad you mentioned truck stop.....I just thought of Taco Bell at a truck stop....that was the one where the truck driver talked for 2 hours after the general notary appt. I had nothing better to do and he seemed to be lonely and in need of an ear so I let him yak on. He was from North Carolina and really nice. We had in common that we were in the Navy so he told me all about his Navy tour of duty and then civilian life. That was my good deed for that day, lending an ear, LOL!!

Reply by Saul Leibowitz on 2/15/11 7:32pm
Msg #372927

Subject slightly changed by your posts, but welcome; I viewed this one as a sort of good deed on my way to something else.
Have done closings at more restaurants/coffee shops than I can list; toll road oasis; many businesses; one maternity ward; one bar. Don't like bars because I don't want someone beefing about the deal later and saying it closed in a bar but this was a very very odd deal.
I've done 1,000+ closings, just never got "on board" the notary "boards."

Reply by LKT/CA on 2/15/11 8:14pm
Msg #372939

<<<Have done closings at more restaurants/coffee shops than I can list;>>>

Great, but that's not the impression I got from your first post.

Reply by jba/fl on 2/15/11 7:47pm
Msg #372933

McDonald's (my satellite office)
every hospital in town
parking lot on hood of car
loading dock of Staples, 3 am
Starbucks
Panera Bread
FedEx hub, on the counter
many hotels and their lobbies
strip club, early morning before opening

I'm sure I've forgotten someplace, there are so many.

Reply by Teresa/FL on 2/15/11 8:09pm
Msg #372937

Chick-fil-a (my primary satellite office)
Barnes and Noble Cafe (my secondary satellite office)
a branch of the Osceola County Libary
my local branch of the Orange County Library
The UPS Store
The FedEx hub (they call me when someone shows up looking for a notary)
a Publix pharmacy counter
McDonalds
Starbucks
What-a-Burger
Popeye's
Tony Roma's
Denny's
California Pizza Kitchen
the food court at the mall
local Mom & Pop diners
the bowling alley
Orlando International Airport
in my car in the parking lot of a long-term care facility
physical rehab center
at a car dealership
and (like Julie) all the local hospitals and a multitude of area hotels

Reply by Mike Goodey on 2/16/11 2:09pm
Msg #373008

Add Farmer Boys and Jack in the Box.

Reply by 101livescan on 2/16/11 9:25am
Msg #372957

Private jets, yachts, sailboats, bait shops, campgrounds, RVs in parks, hood of my car, back of my SUV has a nice signing table, park bench, museum, bed n breakfasts, surfboard shop, wine barrel room, barns, hotel business centers, Arnold Schwarnegger's workout room. You name it, I've been there.

Reply by doglover/CA on 2/16/11 12:46pm
Msg #372992

Starbucks
Denny's at 6 AM
Sony Studios in a classroom for child actors
back of an SUV
hood of a car
company conference rooms
hotel lobbies
front porch of the borrower's home
X-ray room in a hospital

Reply by Cari on 2/17/11 5:55am
Msg #373086

you don't charge a travel fee to supplement the $1 not fee? n/m