Posted by michnott on 6/14/11 5:44pm
Msg #386202

Two short stories

Received a call to resign a loan because the notary notarized EVERY document.
Moral of the story: A notary stamp does not mean your a Signing Agent.

Got a call this morning. "Are you the notary." "Yes." "Can you notarize something for me."
"Dude it is 3am!!" "I know, but it sez yur available 24/7."
Help me

Reply by LKT/CA on 6/14/11 6:24pm
Msg #386209

<<<Got a call this morning. "Are you the notary." "Yes." "Can you notarize something for me."
"Dude it is 3am!!" "I know, but it sez yur available 24/7." Help me>>>

Are you marketing your availability as 24/7? If you are, then why would you say to someone, "Dude it is 3am!!!" - that's false advertisement. When I was available 24/7, about 2 years ago, I did receive two late calls - midnight and 2:30am - and one general notary appointment for 6:30am for a dentist and his pharmacist wife who needed loans docs notarized. I was P.O.C. - paid outside of closing. The wife handed me a crisp new $100 bill and thanked me for being available so early.

The midnight call did result in a nice travel fee and paid in cash. The midnight call was in regards to a lady's boyfriend who was just arrested and at a jail outside of my travel area.

IMHO if your availability is 24/7 you should be willing to meet with customers 24/7. There are ways to ensure payment and your safety - meet at a business that's open 24 hours - hotel lobbies or 24 hour restaurants are two that come to mind.....require cash only and collect it UPFRONT before you even unpack anything and provide a receipt. Make sure the caller knows if they don't hand you the money UPFRONT, you're leaving. If you're not willing to meet with customers 24/7 then don't falsely advertise that.

Reply by LKT/CA on 6/14/11 6:34pm
Msg #386210

Should have added.....

The dentist and pharmacist doc signing - no middleman, the husband called me to set the appointment and he already had the docs......nothing for me to print and nothing for me to ship. I just showed up - the pages needing notarization were flagged and removed. I notarized and left with a crisp new $100 bill. Wish ALL signings could be that sweet.

Reply by Notarysigner on 6/14/11 9:07pm
Msg #386226

Re: Should have added.....

I had a LO call me because he was having a loan rate lock expiring at mid-night...he was about 100 miles away. It was almost 10 P.M. and he was desperate. We agreed to me at an AM/PM about 1/2 way. I jumped in my car after we agreed to a fee and met him and his clients.

Our vehicles were parked driver side to driver side behind the store under one flood lite. Sheriff even pulled up to see what we were doing, signing loan Docs? yea right! LOL Anyway by mid-night, Docs signed. I was paid $300 for that plus a $100.00 tip. 24/7 I am.

Reply by LKT/CA on 6/14/11 9:18pm
Msg #386227

Re: Should have added.....

$400....WOW!! Aren't you glad you answered your phone?? Heehee!!!

Reply by Susan Fischer on 6/14/11 7:55pm
Msg #386215

Exactly. Better to say a generic "Normal Business Hours,

After Hours by appointment..." or whatever your availability, than the all-inclusive 24/7.

I have no idea of the circumstances, but I'd bet that 'Dude' knew what time it was, and was really hopeful to see that "OPEN" sign on the dark highway.

As LKT so eloquently demonstrates, it pays to wear a Cape and save the day/nite. "Help me" is an SOS, after all.

My .25 cents.

Reply by MW/VA on 6/14/11 8:51pm
Msg #386222

On the 24/7 issue, the owner of the #s site actually called

people at all hrs. to see if they answered the phone. They removed the "24/7" icon on the website if you weren't actually available. LOL I used to use it as a symbol that I was available most of the time, but I'm not taking safety risks to meet someone late at night. I've had only a couple of signings that were close to midnight. It seems the day of last minute deadline closings are over anyway.

Reply by Virginia/PA on 6/14/11 8:58pm
Msg #386224

24/7 should be 24/7. One listing company online (a competitor of NotRot) has the availability of choosing an icon of 24/7 or an owl for late hours. I don't know if 3am is late hours or early hours. The time is in the mind of the beholder. But I define late hours as 11:30 pm or midnight.

Reply by Bob_Chicago on 6/14/11 11:58pm
Msg #386234

Not directed at anyone in particular, but just wondering.

A state's NP laws say that you can charge $x per stamp , notorial act, etc, etc.
May also provide for reasonable mileage charge , or in some cases , something like
35 cents per mile, or as in some cases , law is silent on the matter of mileage charges.
If you charge a individual notorial customer (not a third party NSA job) $100, $200, whatever
because you are going out in bad weather, late at nite, over a mountain, into a bad area, etc.
might the customer have a legitimate complaint that you are making charges in excess of what you
are permitted to charge by your state's NP laws? Many states require a NP to issue receipts for all NP charges. What happens if party you charged $xxx sends that receipt to state SOS office?
Just askin'.

Reply by Notarysigner on 6/15/11 7:45am
Msg #386255

Re: Not directed at anyone in particular, but just wondering.

If someone were to ask me "that" question I would explain the hiring party "offered" that amount because of his sense of urgency. No problem.

Reply by CF on 6/15/11 8:57am
Msg #386260

Cash is King right? n/m

Reply by Bob_Chicago on 6/15/11 9:13am
Msg #386270

I believe that it might be a problem is hiring party is John

Q Public, and he later claims that he was gouged because he needed a doc notarized late at nite.
Not an issue, if it is a NSA assignment, as NSA is charging for services beyond a straight notarization.

Reply by Notarysigner on 6/15/11 9:52am
Msg #386290

True except John Q Public doesn't have $400 n/m

Reply by Bob_Chicago on 6/15/11 10:40am
Msg #386302

Re: True except John Q Public doesn't have $400

He might dig it up if he realized at midnite, that his kid was leaving on a cruise with grandma early
the next morning , and that he needed a notarized permission signed.
He might just pay the $400 and then report the NP to state authorites.

Reply by Notarysigner on 6/15/11 11:24am
Msg #386316

Re: True except John Q Public doesn't have $400

Funny you mentioned that because I had to go to the S F airport last week for just that. I gave
Them my price plus parking and bridge toll and they said it
Was worth way more then that. I let them set the fee is the key
Bob. People here are pretty generous here in this area.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 6/15/11 1:29pm
Msg #386355

Many times private parties have upped my "convenience"

charge, and I let them.

I look at it like this: convenience stores charge more for their stuff because if you want chocolate milk and potato chips at 3 AM, you pay a primium for that convenience.

If a Notarization on a travel doc for a kid leaving the country is the last thing on the parents' "to-do" list at 3 AM? Pay for the convenience, or miss the boat.

Full disclosure, Oregon recognizes travel fees.

Reply by Bob_Chicago on 6/15/11 2:13pm
Msg #386369

Far be it from me to tell anyone how to run their biz, or

what the state law of other states provides, but the price of chocolate milk at the 7-11 is not set
by state law. The amounts that a NP may charge for notary services is.
I douubt if any state's laws provide that an NP can charge whatever the customer is willing to pay.
Not sure if it is legal to charge or collect a higher mileage fee for midnite than for noon.
Does your state allow you to collect a "convenience fee", a document fee, a sevice fee, an after hours fee, a bad weather fee, a bad traffic fee, or any other fee, other than as specifed in the statute? This is a general question, and NOT directed at you, Susie.
Personally, I usually refer general NP work to the several UPS stores or currency exchanges located in my area. I have met people with a last minute emergency at a nearby MickeyDs, but I do it pro bono, as I interpret IL law, as limiting me to $1.00 , and it's not worth the trouble to issue a receipt nor do the required bookkeeping for a lousy buck.

Reply by Notarysigner on 6/15/11 3:21pm
Msg #386377

As a follow up..the CA notary handbook does

have a fee limitation. However there is NO limitation on the amount that can be accepted. So if the fee limitation says $10.00 per sig and $.50 per mile 40 mile round trip. Then the max you can charge is $30.00

If the hiring party offers to pay you $300.00 to do so, he is presenting an offer. The only thing I could find in the handbook was you must give a receipt, if requested.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 6/15/11 8:28pm
Msg #386409

In Oregon, we can charge a travel fee separate from the

Notarial fees as long as the travel fee is agreed upon by both parties prior to the meeting. Leaves the "convenience" fee to what the traffic will bear, I guess. We can also waive the Notary Fees if we have chosen that option upon application for commission.

Just lucky in Oregon.

Reply by SharonMN on 6/15/11 3:15pm
Msg #386376

24/7 does not mean always available

I would consider 24/7 to mean that someone could make an appointment with the notary for all hours of the day, not necessarily that someone can call at 3 am without an appointment and expect the notary to answer the phone and/or provide instant service.