Posted by BrendaTx on 4/19/13 7:42am
Msg #466317

Notary Laws in Texas likely to remain unchanged

The notary law changes requiring notaries to have education seems to have stalled in committee. It's possible that they will resurrect, but unlikely. I am not against education, but I am against laws that cost citizens more and are put into action with no evidence of need.

-The classes were to be at least 3 hours, but there was no cap on the hours or specification that it could be free on the website of the SoS.

-There are 420,000 +/- notaries in Texas. Out of those and millions of documents they have notarized every year, only an average of six commissions are revoked and only 175 +/- complaints are filed. That is less than one quarter of a percent of notaries.

-There is ample free education on the website of the TX SoS.

- Texas notaries can charge $6 for a certificate, plus $1 for additional signatures on acknowledgments and $6 for an oath or jurat. There would be no raise in fees to accommodate the extra expenses.

-The ONLY ones who would stand to benefit would be notary trainers. I could have taken a leave from my job and started training full time if this requirement would have gone into effect and made enough to retire on in a much shorter time. It is a lucrative business when one charges $50 - $100 (or more) per student.

-I would not be opposed to free education based on the website of the SOS, but the way this was written, it was going to become a nice annual stream of income (Millions) that would flow out of notary pockets and into big business pockets. The company that brought the suggested bills to the senate and house in Texas is not a Texas company, according to my sources at the capitol and open record lobbyist info.

I started a Change.org petition and over 400 Texans signed it. Other notaries called and wrote their lawmakers. The petition link is in my profile if you want to see it. With every signature, an email went to every lawmaker in Texas and the Governor's office. I thought that was pretty impressive.

Reply by 101livescan on 4/19/13 8:07am
Msg #466319

Congratulations, you Texas Notaries, for standing tall against BIG BUSINESS. I'm happy for you all. And if the ugly green monster raises its head again from the dark green murky lagoon, you'll know what to do yet one more time.

It's a lot of money! Who needs to spend it? No one.

Reply by BrendaTx on 4/19/13 7:45pm
Msg #466397

Would appreciate all positive thoughts and notary

prayers to see this one to the finish line.

Reply by 101livescan on 4/20/13 9:10am
Msg #466416

Re: Would appreciate all positive thoughts and notary

If you go to their site, they hawk their wares and supplies, but of course not their courseware, and a simple price comparison shows they charge over double what NR and other suppliers charge.

SOS.

Reply by Grammyzoom on 4/20/13 10:23am
Msg #466423

It is my understanding that there is going to be some kind of formal hearing coming up, date unknown, in Austin.

A business associate and friend of mine is, Kal Tabbara, Owner of the American Association of Notaries. He has been actively fighting hard against this law and has spent a lot of his own money doing so. He has informed me that it would be a wonderful thing if a number of Texas notaries would be able to come to this hearing.

If you are willing to attend, please send and email to me at: [e-mail address] and I will let you know when this hearing is scheduled to take place.