Posted by SharonMN on 5/14/12 11:38am
Msg #420776

SS gave bwr my address - privacy issue?

While I was doing a signing last week, the borrower mentioned something about my address. I looked around and, not seeing anything with my address on it, asked how he knew where I lived. He said that "Jasmine" (whoever that is - someone from SS I assume) gave him my information - down to my exact address. Now, this information can be accessed from the MN SOS website, so I'm not that worried about it, but I 'm surprised that the SS would disclose this level of info to the borrower without telling me. I don't have my address on my business card, just phone # and email. Anybody else have this happen? Would you be annoyed?

Reply by JPH13/MO on 5/14/12 11:46am
Msg #420777

I also don't have it on my business card and don't think it is right that they provided it to ANYONE. I would contact them about this. You just never know when a borrower might turn out to be a crazy person who ended up being unhappy with the whole loan process - and with your address could take it out on you at their convenience.

Reply by HisHughness on 5/14/12 11:57am
Msg #420779

If you are going to operate a home-based business...

your home address is going to be available in any number of disparate venues. To obsess about it -- like maybe fearing that some disgrunted crazed borrower may hunt you down and hack you up with a machete -- is just being...well, obsessive. That is particularly true today, when your address is accessible on the Internet simply by typing in your name.

If this sort of thing is a major issue for you, then perhaps you should consider another line of work. Maybe a telemarketer, calling from an anonymous phone number and using a fake name.

Reply by JPH13/MO on 5/14/12 12:01pm
Msg #420780

Re: If you are going to operate a home-based business...

While I agree with Hugh about how easy it is to find someone's home address, I still think it is wrong to give it out to the borrower. Why do they need to know? If they want to know they can find it, but I still think it shouldn't be something they give out for no good reason.

Reply by Dorothy_MI on 5/14/12 3:01pm
Msg #420803

Of course you are assuming

that the brwr is telling the truth. The SS may have given your name and the brwr himself googled your name, but didn't want you to think he/she was stalking you (which you might have jumped to that conclusion very easily). Remember, there are two sides to every story.

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 5/14/12 12:09pm
Msg #420783

I'd be a little ticked, I think. Maybe Jasmine erroneously thinks you have a brick and mortar office where people can come for notarizations. Like MN, the CA SOS lists all active notaries with their addresses, but I use my PO Box for my address. Notaries list their work address if they are notaries because of their employment. Actually, maybe the borrower just looked you up themselves.

There's this one TC that I work with that tells borrowers the city where I live. So when I call to confirm, they always say, well, you're coming from Main Town, USA, so take such and such highway north .... etc. Why would they tell them where I live? I don't necessarily care but it's not important to the signing where I live and it's really not anybody's business or concern since we're all mobile notaries and go to the borrower. Most of the time I'm coming from another signing in another town anyway, so there's no point in offering directions from my home city. Makes me wonder what else Jasmine/my TC are telling borrowers ....?

Reply by JanetK_CA on 5/14/12 2:13pm
Msg #420795

I agree, GOLDGIRL/CA. I'd bet that the vast majority of notaries doing loan signings work out of their homes. The signing service has no way of knowing what anyone's living circumstances are (e.g. do they live alone (especially females), have young children at home, etc.). While I agree that if someone really wants to find a notary's address, it wouldn't be too hard to do, I also agree that we should have a right to at least make it a little more difficult for everyone to have easy access to it.

Most online directories where notaries can advertise their businesses (including here) offer the option of not publicly disclosing one's address. If it were no big deal, why would they bother? After all the hoopla about protecting borrower's privacy (and I realize someone's address is not the same as their ssn & other financial data), you'd think they would at least have a little bit of sensitivity about giving out any kind of personal info for anyone. I can't think of a single reason why a borrower should have the notary's address - unless the borrower is meeting them there in their home office.

Reply by ikando on 5/14/12 2:31pm
Msg #420798

I agree with you, Goldgirl, and I too would be po'd if my information were given out. I've had borrowers call me back (from the card I give them at the end of our business) asking me about the loan they've signed, or where the money is they're expecting. I'd really be upset if someone were to stop by my house to get those questions answered.

What would that TC/SS person do if we had access to their personal address when our payment was not made? I don't think they would be too happy to be contacted at home!

Reply by Lee/AR on 5/14/12 12:38pm
Msg #420790

Nah... get a lot of work 'cuz people know where I live

Plus, I do have an office so sometimes the B would really rather come to me and that's just fine. Realize that this may not be the case for some and respect that decision, too. But I don't think I'd make a federal case out of it unless it happens repeatedly.

Reply by MW/VA on 5/14/12 3:09pm
Msg #420805

I don't know why the borrower would need your address in

the first place. Do I think it was wrong of the ss to provide it--absolutely. It's already been discussed that many of us work out of our homes & don't disclose our addresses on our business cards for safety reasons. That said, I'd call the ss & ask them directly if they provided your address, ask why, and also ask them not to do that in the future for reasons mentioned.
When I get calls for GNW it's usually from one of the listing sites, where my address appears. Some notaries don't list a street address there, either, only a city & state. I've never had anyone just show up at my front door, though, so it's never been a big issue.

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 5/14/12 3:46pm
Msg #420810

Re: I don't know why the borrower would need your address in

Well, it would be a big issue to me cos my home is not a business site, like Best Buy. The property is not insured as a business - what if they decided to trip and fall and sue over that abandoned skateboard out front? (just an example). My neighborhood is probably not zoned for people to be dropping by to "conduct business" anyway. I don't even have a business license. Maybe I'm being a little too litigious-minded here. But in any case, there'd be nowhere to sign anything in my house. I'm not cleaning off my kitchen table for nothing - except maybe to make room for the next meal!

Reply by rengel/CA on 5/14/12 5:06pm
Msg #420819

I use a PO box for my business address

It is what shows up on the SOS site, my biz card, my drivers license, etc.
The post office has just recently made changes to allow business to use the post office street address with box# as your mailing address so it looks you have a physical location. Some businesses don't like to work with you if you don't have a physical address.

The reason I use a PO Box is that I was a young widow when I first started out in this biz and was very careful about any info I gave out to anyone. Since I was living alone for the first time in 20 yrs, I didn't need any unwanted visitors showing up at odd hours.

My .02

Reply by Jack/AL on 5/14/12 9:38pm
Msg #420839

In line with what HisHughness and some others have said,

here in Podunk, Alabama, a notary public is a commissioned officer of the State of Alabama. As such, the information is available on PUBLIC sites (primarily that of the Secretary, primarily, plus some dtabases I've joined, and even through an additional site or two through Google and other search machines). Whether I want someone to have the information, and their reason for wanting it, are totally irrelevant. It is there, so all can get it and pass it out to the rest of the population of the earth. I recently received a call from a fellow Marine, with whom I served our country 43 years ago. He got my info SOMEWHERE on the internet. So what? Your info is there for the world to see, or for anyone who wants it to see. Oh, and by the way, Roll Tide, ya'll...,

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 5/14/12 9:56pm
Msg #420840

Gender Gap!

I did a little poll: ALL the gals are definitely against giving out home addresses, and ALL the guys are saying what the heck are you worried about, ain't no big deal. Hmmmm. What does this say about us as notaries, as a society?

(BTW, my "survey" does not include Lee/AZ cos I dont' know his/her gender.)

Reply by Alz on 5/14/12 10:01pm
Msg #420841

Great information about using the physcial address of the

Post Office, as I have a PO Box for ions and did not know this was an option.

Reply by CJ on 5/14/12 11:11pm
Msg #420847

My story

One time I was signing a borrower across town, about 45 minutes away. She started asking me about where I lived, which is a common topic.

Borrower: "Where do you live?"
Me: "I live across town in [name of city]".
Borrower, "Really? On what street?"
I live on very long, main street, so I told her.
She said, "Do you live at . . .? " and she quoted the EXACT address of my mobile home park.
I was flabbergasted and said, "YES! How do you know?"
She said, "I'm your postal carrier".

Reply by Dorothy_MI on 5/15/12 9:16am
Msg #420863

My story is similiar

I called to confirm a closing and gave my name in my introduction. The man says, oh, you live on __street. I was taken aback. I hemmed and hawed and finally said yes, how do you know. He answered, "I'm your UPS man". (That was back when most docs were overnighted and he was at my house about 4 out of 5 days a week.) We both had a good laugh.

Reply by bfnotary on 5/15/12 2:19pm
Msg #420905

Re: Great information about using the physcial address of the

I personally don't worry to much about my address. My address is all over the internet. Plus my husband wouldn't let anyone hurt me. Heck if someone tried to come in my house, I would shoot em in the leg. Lol. But either way. I've never had anyone show up at my home. I plan on haveing an office at my house when we buy a bigger home next year!! That way I can meet clients at home, if they prefer. ( I can't do that now, my place is way to small, and with 2 kids, it is always cluttered with toys and stuff). But then again, I live in Erie Pa. It isn't to bad where I live. So I don't have as much to worry about I guess.