Posted by John Tennant on 12/12/13 4:18pm
Msg #495922

Signature Closers - in the pocket of NNA - SPW

I just received the following from Signature Closers and my answer was as Lee says: You have been deleted as an approved client. I have my background check through NR, which, in my opinion is the only way to go. I also am going in to SC and downgrading my star rating of them as they are promoting and trying to force membership in XYZ. If enough people do this, byby 4 stars.

Hello,

I wanted to send you a notification email to make you aware of new background check regulations put in place by a group called the Signing Professionals Workgroup (www.signingprofessionalsworkgroup.org). Some of the largest national lenders and title companies got together to standardize background check requirements as well as signing agent certifications.



We are in the process of reviewing our background checks for compliance with these new regulations and we do not have a background check on file for you. You have 3 different ways to provide us with a valid check. We highly recommend the NNA search as most everyone accepts this check however the options are:



1. You can order a search for $35 from Crimcheck by using this link: https://clients.crimcheck.com/applink/SIGNATUREEXTERNAL/



2. You can have a background check completed by the National Notary Association. They are offering a program to help with the cost currently. Please go to nationalnotary.org or call 800-876-6827 to do this.



Q: I purchased a previous background screening from the NNA already. Do I need to purchase another one?



Purchased screening in 2012-If you purchased a background screening from the NNA last year (2012) you will need to get a re-screening in order to meet the new SPW standards, which is available for $39.



Purchased screening in 2011-If you purchased a screening from the NNA in 2011, you’ll need to get a new screening to meet the new SPW standards which is available for $65.



If you purchased a screening from another vendor within the past year, the NNA will provide a store credit for a future purchase at their store (stamps, journals, etc.) equal to the amount of the receipt that you provide from this previous check.



3. You can supply a background check from any provider that meets the criteria outlined below. We recommend Crimcheck or the NNA because we know their search meets the requirements. For other providers this may be a custom check and could be more expensive and/or unavailable.



Certified Signing Professional Background Screening/Check Requirements
A valid background screening or check will search the following sources of data for the past 10 years (7 if your state does not provide 10 years):

- Social Security Number trace search
- County criminal court search
- Statewide criminal search
- Federal criminal search
- Nationwide criminal database search
- Motor vehicle records search
- National Sex Offender Public Website
- USA Patriot Act search

For additional details, refer to the Background Screening Standards from the Signing Professionals Workgroup (http://signingprofessionalsworkgroup.org/signing-professional-standards/background-screening-standards/).



Please provide an updated background check as soon as possible so that you do not miss out on future closings. For many national lenders (Bank of America, Citi, Chase) this requirement is already mandated so we are unable to assign you any of their transactions until this is complete and on file.



Thank you!

Kerry Janda
Director of Compliance and Closing Services Coordinator
Signature Closers, LLC
Email: [e-mail address]
Phone: 888-677-7462
Fax: 888-677-6866

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 12/12/13 4:27pm
Msg #495925

"A valid background screening or check will search the following sources of data for the past 10 years (7 if your state does not provide 10 years):

- Social Security Number trace search
- County criminal court search
- Statewide criminal search
- Federal criminal search
- Nationwide criminal database search
- Motor vehicle records search
- National Sex Offender Public Website
- USA Patriot Act search"

As long as the check you had done has all this included (which NotRot's does) I'd push back - HARD - they have absolutely no reason to force you to have another one done elsewhere - and deny you work - if your BGC has all this.

I've not gotten an e-mail yet but probably will eventually. And I will push back. Especially knowing that Bill Anderson himself said the NNA is NOT the only BGC source out there. I will get another from NotRot soon and promote that.

JMO

Reply by PA_Notary_II on 12/12/13 4:31pm
Msg #495927

Re: Signature Closers - ***My response to their email

Good Morning Kerry:

The NNA is not the be all, end all supreme Notary organization for Notaries in the USA, They do not in any way represent me and it's obvious that their intent is to get lenders and title companies to make requirements of their vendors in order to maximize their sales and profits. The SPeW they have engineered is blatently slanted in favor of all BUT the Notary who is preforming the closing. I have a perfectly acceptable background check done by the National Verification Registry that covers all the aspects required and will fax that to your office today. While I highly value my relationship with signature closers, I am dismayed that you folks would "drink the Kool Aid" that the NNA is serving up.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 12/12/13 4:40pm
Msg #495930

NICE!! Thumbs UP Pa_Notary_II!! n/m

Reply by MW/VA on 12/12/13 8:36pm
Msg #495951

I like your reply. I also sent them something, saying this

was all NNA's agenda, and that I would send them a copy of my bgc from NR. Again, it's the signing services that are buying into this.

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 12/12/13 5:49pm
Msg #495934

Uhhh.... the NotRot BGC is the one that uses CrimChek...

See: http://www.notarypublicbackgroundcheck.com/

If they will accept a screening via CrimChek, then they shouldn't have any issue accepting the one done via NoRot. It's the exact same vendor doing the exact same search.


The NNA uses Backgrounds Online... or they did as of April of this year.


The rest of their email is just silly...

Reply by CarolF/NC on 12/12/13 6:08pm
Msg #495935

LIKE to all n/m

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 12/12/13 6:31pm
Msg #495940

Might also want to see this thread with their comment

Msg #492269

They have yet to respond.

Reply by Signature Closers, LLC - Marketing on 12/13/13 1:32pm
Msg #496041

Re: Might also want to see this thread with their comment

Hi all,

Sorry for any confusion these posts may have caused. In the future, please try to withhold the contact information / name of our employee that sent an email in these postings. It is not fair for them to be tied to this criticism or critical commentary. You don't post your name and contact information on almost all of your comments so please don't post theirs.

In regards to the NNA / SPW requirements, please note our position that we will accept ANY background check meeting the requirements we laid out in the email previously mentioned in this post. It is true that these requirements do mirror the requirements laid out by the SPW, but we don't care if it's NNA, Crimcheck, Lexis Nexis, Notary Rotary, or any other provider so long as the requirements are met.

Further, our organization has no monetary incentive or affiliation (unlike other companies) to promote the NNA search, Crimcheck search, or any other search for that matter. We independently negotiated a discounted check mirroring the NNA's search with Crimcheck as an ALTERNATIVE to the NNA search. If anything, I believe our effort (that led to $0 compensation to our company) should be seen as a value-added offering to our network as opposed to a money grab. If we wanted to give you only one option (NNA or bust) we would have said that.

Lastly, I understand the additional cost and time requirements set forth by the SPW. Whether you like it, hate it, or are indifferent, it's important to realize that some of the nation's largest lenders (Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo) and underwriters / title companies (Title Source, Old Republic, First American, Fidelity National Financial) are the core of this group.

The signing services looking to enforce these guidelines aren't drinking the "Kool-Aid" so to speak as much as ensuring longevity of their business and yours for that matter in a changing marketplace.

We respect the decision of the signing agents that decline to participate in these requirements being laid out, but our expectation is that these criteria will be adopted across the majority of companies in the coming years and we believe it would be wise to absorb the costs associated with obtaining an acceptable background screening per the requirements laid out by many of the nation's largest lenders and underwriters. I think if the majority of signing agents looked at their "block" of business, they would find a lot of closings with either these lenders and/or the underwriters in this group.