Posted by Scriba/NM on 11/13/13 5:15pm
Msg #492582

Signing Services - Something Needs to Be Done.....NOW

My recent missive to the NNA:

When is the NNA finally going to make themselves heard regarding the growing problem of criminal activities of certain so-called Signing Services? A lot attention is being devoted to Notaries, with background checks, and scripts, honesty, integrity, etc., yet NOTHING is being suggested re: what to do about people who open and close these "Signing Services," keeping the money paid to them by title, and stiffing notaries nationwide, over and over. Not one iota of regulation exists, yet certain of these criminal enterprises run roughshod over notaries, closing and reopening businesses, constantly cheating the notaries that you champion, notaries who are supposedly such a "crucial part" of the loan signing process, who get ripped off each day. No suggestions by NNA have been evident (that I can determine), regarding needed industry regulation of these sleazy enterprises, as there are no minimum requirements for "signing services". Hundreds of notaries are NOT being paid (ever) for work they have performed, yet a blind eye is turned toward this growing atrocity. It is time NNA put forth cogent input on Signing Services to the industry, much as you do right now to the Signing Professionals Workgroup setting higher standards for Notaries. This "signing service" situation has to come to a stop, and there is no time like right now, in the middle of these reforms currently being implemented.

Their response today:

Thank you for reaching out to us with your concerns. We appreciate hearing from you and we do understand your frustrations. The NNA acknowledges that there are unethical signing services in the marketplace and will bring it to the Signing Professionals Workgroup’s attention. Please understand that the SPW is new and its first priority was publishing the recommended standards for signing agents who interact directly with borrowers at the signing table. The SPW will meet on an ongoing basis to discuss these and similar concerns that relate to the performance of signing services. The SPW is also in the process of creating a Notary Advisory Committee which will be a pipeline for individual Notaries who want to share their input directly with the SPW. We’ll be sure to make that announcement very public as soon as it happens. We’ll also make sure that news is covered on our page (NationalNotary.org/Standards) so I encourage you to visit regularly for updates.

Everyone who is an NNA member should be sending emails regarding this subject. Continuous attention is the only way something is going to get done. We have to rid ourselves of these vermin who do not pay notaries they "hire" (alternate words: Dupe, Fool, Mislead, Cheat, Gyp, Steal From). Whether one likes it or not, there is strength in numbers, and NNA is the organization that has been set up for years. (examples: AARP, American Legion, etc.). Even if you are NOT a member, email or write them.

Reply by CJ on 11/13/13 5:37pm
Msg #492584

I don't trust the NNA

They just appointed themselves to be the boss over all the notaries. Even though there are problems with some signing services, I don't want to give the NNA any more ideas. I think if they did start messing with NNAs, it would some how just be more fees for us and for them. If they start "something" so that the SSs have to pay to join, and then they misbehave, what can the NNA do? Suspend them? Slap their hands? As far as I know, that's the sort of thing that the government is supposed to be doing.

Reply by Notarysigner on 11/13/13 7:30pm
Msg #492596

Re: I don n/m

Reply by Notarysigner on 11/13/13 7:33pm
Msg #492597

typing too fast,,anyway..when they get ALL the notaries

on board with all their contact requirements they will then be able to act as their own SS sign they already have the directory. Real easy, match TC request with notaries listed in their database,...bingo A.S.S. which stands for Automated Signing Service.

Reply by John Tennant on 11/13/13 5:50pm
Msg #492586

WOW

It appears that the NNA believes that they have a "lock" on being the NSA representatives, through the SPW, to the CFPB. They encourage mass emails, so , everyone should send emails, daily, to the CFPB protesting a single source representation (the NNA). Believe it, the NNA only cares about fattening their bank balance. JMHO

Reply by Lily/Ca on 11/13/13 5:59pm
Msg #492587

I agree to a certain extent and CJ has a point also. The government is failing us on so many other things, I think this would be at the bottom of their list. If the NNA gets a committee together and can regulate the signing companies, kinda like they rate us, or like the list here on notary rotary, possibly to have reputable signing companies, sign up with them, sort of like BBB, it would help. Then to have a standardized pay rate across the board. Or maybe there should be a union started for notaries, where there is a higher standard notary that can be hired. Just thinking out loud. But something needs to be done, notaries are the key, do a important part in the loan process, have a big liability in the process, and if something goes wrong they are the first to blame but get paid the least in the process and as an independent contractor, has the burden to chase the money from signing companies, where as it should be set up at title for the notary to be paid directly from title at close just like the signing companies. The signing companies get paid a lot more to provide the service to find a notary and forward the doc's because title companies are to lazy to set up a easy program to do it themselves. Which would be less costly to consumers.

Reply by MW/VA on 11/13/13 6:48pm
Msg #492590

I don't look at the NNA to be my "parent", and work on

regulations for ss or anything else. I've worked for a lot of great ss. Yes, there are g/b/u in every business. IMO I'm not for the government or anyone else to take care of me. We're headed for trouble in thinking this way, again IMO.

Reply by Scriba/NM on 11/13/13 7:03pm
Msg #492592

Well, it's just a thought - n/m

Reply by Scriba/NM on 11/13/13 7:07pm
Msg #492593

Hit return too soon - n/m

Reply by Scriba/NM on 11/13/13 7:14pm
Msg #492594

Re: Hit return too soon -

Doing something, is better than doing nothing, which is what the groaning and moaning on a bulletin board is, basically - doing nothing. Commiserating solves nothing.

Everyone wringing their hands over this and that. This thing is coming. Face it. Get geared up for it and move on. Whining will solve absolutely nothing.

You need to make your opinion (on whatever it may be) known in a cogent and intelligent way to people and organizations that matter. From what I've seen so far, there are a few good posts, and many useless ones, suggesting no cures, but only complaints, which solve nothing.

All this talk about the evil NNA, and how they are not to be trusted, etc., is a waste of time. I do have aluminum foil hats for sale, in case some think they are being spied upon.

Reply by jba/fl on 11/13/13 8:59pm
Msg #492614

Wow - you sound dejected and too accepting of something

that is barely in the planning stages.

Remember: the bigger they are (NNA), the harder they fall.

Reply by Anthony Bessey on 11/13/13 7:56pm
Msg #492604

This totally amazes me. This site just happens to have one of the best databases for Signature Services I have seen. How can anyone who is a free or paid member not take advantage of this service? As I see it you all have an obligation to the other members to provide accurate feedback about these vendors and how well they take care of Notaries.

In turn, anyone who is foolish enough not to vet prospective new clients based on this tool get what they deserve. If I don't know the client, I don't take an assignment until I have checked that resource. Guess what? I don't have anyone that owes me hundreds and thousands of dollars for work I have done for them. I guess most of you are to lazy to read your own propaganda. And I am the one who does not get how things work.

Reply by Darlin_AL on 11/13/13 9:27pm
Msg #492623

Anthony, you're getting nasty; "most of you are too lazy"

"propaganda". You were doing ok, but lost me when you got petty and offensive. Oh, don't think anyone reading your diatribe is offended; we see you by your vocabulary. When you get petty, your opinions are not valued.

Reply by Darlin_AL on 11/13/13 9:30pm
Msg #492624

and, the NR SS listing/rating does not address the issue

of consequences for the above-mentioned sleazy SS that do well in good times, then rip off & run when things slow down.

Reply by CJ on 11/13/13 10:08pm
Msg #492626

Me again.

For me, I am happy with the SSs that I work with. I know that there are bad SSs out there too, and they have burned me. The OP posted something to the effect of (in my eyes), "Why doesn't the NNA go after the SSs instead of us notaries". My answer is: 1. The NNA seems to be only out for money, not to really help anyone. 2. The NNA is not a government entity, so why should they be in charge of us anyway (We answer to the Secretary of State)? 3. If the NNA DOES figure out a way to "regulate" SSs, I think it will just be another ploy to squeeze money out of them as well as us. I don't think they will actually HELP anything. 4. If we ARE stiffed by an SS, we have to turn to the law and the courts, not to this phony authority that has no power over the notaries or the SSs.

Reply by HSH/WA on 11/13/13 10:33pm
Msg #492629

Re: XYZ is good at marketing, but there are

a lot of NSAs (at least on NR) that don't like them. If they were to set up an effective full time manned site to "go after" the slow/no pay SSs that we report to them, they might help repair some of the damage done to their reputation - wouldn't that be good marketing too? Done right, their efforts to "clean up" to bad SSs could elevate their image in the eyes of the very SSs and TCs they are marketing to. It could be a win/win situation.

Reply by CJ on 11/13/13 11:06pm
Msg #492631

I agree . . .

If XYZ could clean up the bad SSs, they would make a LOT of friends. But I wonder, can the leopard change its spots?

Reply by Darlin_AL on 11/14/13 9:46am
Msg #492675

I meant via fed reg, like CSS appears to be at this time

definitely need to address the gap between TC's when they allow SS to hire SA's for signings. As many here state, the TC's do come under fed & state guidelines & scrutiny. What are the parameters for SS ? I dunno, but the statements on the board indicate a big ugly "none".