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Msg #648301
1 replies | Still Standing | By  Cheryl Elliott on 4/24/24 11:05am
I had a signing with a gentleman yesterday, trust package with a restated trust amendment. I did not know my client is in his long chemo stage to fight pancreatic cancer until I arrived at his home. He looks so good and was so positive. Only when I began reviewing his package did he tell me.
I was happy that I could share with him some music we both enjoy to get to more positive conversation, as he had so much Elvis Presley memorabilia around his home that his mother left him. We had a great time talking about the musical talent we've enjoyed over our years, including Jimmy Buffet and others who've left us recently. We both enjoyed the Gershwin Prize that was shared in LEISURE this past week. We both loved that Joni Mitchell was in the program.
You never know what will come in an assignment. We gotta roll with the punches. You never know what people are going through.
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| Msg #648298
1 replies | Signing issues encountered yesterday | By Yoli/CA on 4/24/24 9:50am
Had a couple of signings yesterday.
First one was for a couple who are purchasing a home for their adult law student son in Texas. The son is also on the loan and signed the day prior. This couple is very savvy and whenever a question popped up, they called their LO. Luckily, the LO was readily available. The last approximately 20 pages had to have corrections as the dad's name was left off, the mom's name was inserted twice so we had to strike out, print his name and initial -- several, several times. The assignment was only about 5 minutes from my home so when I accepted it I thought "Yay! A quick one." Nope. Because of the calls for clarification and the corrections, this signing took 1-1/2 hours, including scan backs.
Second one: Signing location was a 50 minute drive from me. Single self-employed gentleman taking a cash-out hard money loan. 88 page package with no scan backs. Should be a breeze. Again, nope. The cash-out listed was $10,000 less than what he expected and had plans for. He calls his LO who answers on the first ring. There was a misunderstanding as to all fees being rolled into loan. Docs have to be redrawn to increase loan. I get back to my car and call SS to advise. Okay, they'll call me for the redraw; meanwhile, invoice for 1/2 fee. A couple of hours later, SS calls (I missed call) and leaves voice mail that they've emailed me docs for next day signing, time TBD between signer and notary and full fee agreed to. We're signing today at 2:00pm. 
I know we all experience set backs and because of those experiences, learn to roll with it, set our fees to match each individual assignment and pray for patience.  The reason for this post is to let newbies know they are not alone. Everyone hits glitches -- even the seasoned NSA. However, unlike many newbies, most seasoned NSAs have priced the assignments to allow for most set backs and delays. A $65 fee does not pay for 1-1/2 hours at the signing table; nor does it pay for driving 50 minutes (one way) to a signing that cancels at the table.
BTW, in that 2nd case, the SS gets $300 per signing (got an additional $50 for the redraw). So, yeah, they can afford to pay a professional fee.
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| Msg #648293
2 replies | *** CAUTION***National Paralegal & Notary***STEER CLEAR*** | By Jamie Faucon on 4/23/24 5:54pm
I would STRONGLY CAUTION anyone about doing any business with this company as they are currently not paying for services rendered and they are expecting you to wait for your payment until they work out what they are claiming is non payment by the law firm(s). What is odd is that in their email they admit that your contract is with them and not the law firm(s) and I cannot find anywhere in the contract where it states that a notary will only be paid so long as National Paralegal & Notary gets paid by the law firm(s).
Their excuse is that because they haven't been paid, there's no $$ left to pay what is owed to the notary. Their stated expectations are that notaries need to wait until National Paralegal & Notary gets paid and then they will pay. Okay, can you imagine for a minute my notifying my electric and utility companies that they are expected to wait for their payment for services rendered to my business, until I get paid by National Paralegal & Notary. I think it would be reasonable to expect that I would be sitting in the dark and with no running water. Or better yet, tell the IRS you'll pay your taxes when National Paralegal & Notary has paid you. Probably not a good idea.
I find it strange that other companies are offering the same debt settlement orders for some of the very same law firms for which I performed said service for National Paralegal & Notary. And yet I haven't seen anyone coming out saying they are not being paid by those other companies providing the same service, because they haven't been paid by the law firm(s).
Moreover, and according to National Paralegal & Notary's own website and their other public profiles, they advertise services beyond just notary work. This begs the question as to then why do they not take funds from the proceeds for those other services, and pay for the services rendered per their contract with each notary?
I will be glad to update this post should I ever be paid and until such time, I STRONGLY recommend NOT accepting any work from them.
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| Msg #648292
0 replies | An interest new one-time gig | By Mills Mobile Notary Service on 4/23/24 11:21am
Got a email from an organization called Edison Research offering me a assignment that is not notary related.
Edison Research contracts with a bunch of media outlets, including ABC, NBC, CBS & CNN and they are paying me $100 to show up in the local county election office (which is nearby) in May, on the Oregon Primary election night, and gather the latest vote tallies. I then call the results to their central data center when they are released. Since Oregon is 100% vote by mail, it should not take more than a 2 or 3 hours. This is small county, maybe 5000 people. I figured it was easy money, and only a short trip for $30 to $50 an hour.
They found me on the numbers site and they like notaries for their election assignments because we are professional and reliable.
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| Msg #648287
1 replies | Curious- is NNA | By aanotary on 4/22/24 9:10pm
still requiring that stupid test to get their background check? i ordered my new background check yesterday ( Sunday) usually the test pops right up to be completed . I got nothing? I waited until Monday - still nothing. I will call them tomorrow. But because I am curious and impatient , I was just wondering. I do know it takes a few days to get the link to complete the information for the background check. How come everything is going up but our fees?
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| | Msg #648272
2 replies | ExactSign | By Jules on 4/22/24 12:13pm
This Company is formerly Premier Lender Solutions. They are assigning orders through SnapDocs. In their terms they only pay 1/2 if the signing isn't completed. Also require full scan back and pay over 1 month out. Previous messages when they were Premier Lender Solutions was that people had difficulty getting paid for a no sign.
I am located in a rural area, so I don't accept signings without full payment regardless of if the person signs. Especially for a reverse mortgage where the client may not have been told what they are signing up for.
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| Msg #648266
1 replies | finance america | By Jayhawk/KS on 4/19/24 2:48pm
Does anyone have a contact number for Finance America. I have a closing for them tomorrow morning. It's almost 3 in the afternoon and still no docs! Help.
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| Msg #648261
3 replies | Thoughts on this? | By anotaryinva on 4/18/24 5:27pm
Requiring borrowers to take out expensive lender insurance to me is a big deal. Reading this is making my head spin, has nothing do to with new buyers affordablity.
https://www.alta.org/news-and-publications/news/20240418-18-House-Democrats-Question-Biden-Administrations-Title-Waiver-Program
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| Msg #648254
1 replies | Hidden name change by SOS | By VT_Syrup on 4/18/24 3:31pm
Because new notary rules are being developed in VT, I've been looking at exactly how notaries are required to sign their names. In VT currently it's "in the same manner as on file with the Office". So I wondered, does it mean how it is in my electronic profile on the state website where I renew my commission, or how it's written on my affirmation of office form, or on my commission certificate? It doesn't say.
The Vermont Office of Professional Regulation regulates several professions, and I have an engineering license with them. I had that from before they started regulating notaries. When I registered as a notary, I registered as Gerard Ashton so my name would fit in small spaces. It never crossed my mind how that would affect my engineering license. So I checked, and found that when I registered as a notary, they changed my name on that license to drop my middle name. I don't have any occasion to officially sign anything with that license, so it doesn't really matter to me.
I imagine a hidden change like this could really matter to some people. Imagine a CPA who had formed a license in the name John Quincy Doe, and had formed a professional corporation John Quincy Jones PC. Then he gets a notary license in the name John Jones, and his CPA license changes to match.
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| Msg #648250
11 replies | Brothers Bilingual Notaries, LLC Fraud | By Wendy Kruse on 4/17/24 9:44pm
Hello,
I did a signing for this company almost 2 months ago and have still not been paid, in the agreement
with them they said net 30 days to be paid, I went onto BBB today and found out that they are rated
at an "F" has anyone else had this issue with them, if not please beware of doing any signings for them.
I have emailed and called to no avail, no one will get back to me and the corporate number on BBB
is disconnected.
Sincerely,
Wendy
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| Msg #648241
6 replies | Background checks | By anotaryinva on 4/16/24 3:33pm
It’s that time again for me to do a background check, the cost really ticks me off. I completely understand the reasoning for it but really wish they would offer a renewal rate much like a reissue rate for title insurance.
I would also like to know if anyone here knows the actual regulation, if there is one, requiring this.
I went on snap docs who I’ve done one or two signings for and they say a bg check is good for three years on their end so what’s with the others requiring yearly.
One last thing as I’m biting my tongue having to pay for this, do you think every employee of every tc is background checked..I mean they all have access to the customers data!
Enough rant, it’s a beautiful 70’s sunny day in VA and cocktail time.
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| Msg #648239
6 replies | Beware!! | By Mike Goodey on 4/15/24 10:31pm
A very good friend of mine who owns her own escrow company was involved in 2 fraud cases recently. One was a couple who defrauded a title company of $800,000 and a single man who attempted $750,000 in a fraud case. In both cases Title requested funds be released and the couple got the money before the mistake was found. The notary had taken a pic of the female and someone sent the pic to title and she was identified as someone else but it was too late, they were gone.
In the second case, Title wanted the funds released but my friend had a feeling something wasn't right and after stalling a bit, told the client that he had to deposit the check in the bank. He was requesting it be wired to him but escrow refused and told him it had to be deposited. It was then that they found that he was identified as someone else.
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| Msg #648237
1 replies | 70 pages for a VA purchase loan with full professional fee! | By Yoli/CA on 4/15/24 6:10pm
Absolutely! Any time, any day.
Had numerous offers this morning for anywhere from $65 to $95. Sorry, not in my business plan. It's a good thing I didn't accept those low offers and was available to accept this purchase package at my full fee.
Yes, you read that correctly. 70 pages for a VA purchase loan package.
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| Msg #648217
16 replies | Insurance inspections | By Cheryl Elliott on 4/12/24 11:21am
Currently I perform inspections for about six vendors across the US. Recently I was contacted by a company who wants inspections performed using a point and shoot camera with a selfish stick and a measuring wheel. Does anyone out there performing these? If so, I am wondering about the best model of point and shoot camera to purchase.
The company wants general liability insurance. After all the extra equipment, I am wondering if this piece of business is lucrative. Not sure if there is any measurable volume in my area.
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| Msg #648208
9 replies | California RON? | By CH2inCA on 4/10/24 5:26pm
https://www.amrock.com/posts/remote-online-notarization-california-amrocks
Thoughts?
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| Msg #648194
3 replies | legal size paper Staples | By anotaryinva on 4/7/24 4:33pm
Just went to order legal size paper, I’m not out yet, but this week I had two purchases where they sent the whole package legal! So I’m on the Staples website, not advantage and Hammermill is $93.99 delivered. I clicked on auto ship and it’s $56.39 or $59.77 with my tax. I thought well I don’t won’t auto ship weekly but guess what you can get autoship YEARLY. I am going to wait for a coupon for $10 off a $50 purchase but dang! I hope I will use at least a case yearly but apparently you can adjust after ordering. Oh and with their recycle rewards I’m getting $5 off for taking a broken shedder to them.
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| Msg #648180
0 replies | Video meeting with VT notary officials | By VT_Syrup on 4/5/24 4:09pm
I posted in Msg #648068 about VT emergency rules; the Vermont notary advisers were scheduled to have a video meeting today so I signed into it. The notary advisers didn't make the meeting, but SOS general counsel Lauren Layman and Notary Public Licensing Administrator Kasey Mayer were there. I was the only member of the public present, so they just let me ask questions.
I expressed my confusion about the exact meaning of the rule
"A notary public authorized to perform electronic notarial acts shall use the same electronic signature and electronic official stamp, if using, for all electronic notarial acts."
Ms Layman said this came from National Association of Secretaries of State recommendations. We agreed that it needed to be tightened up as far as what period of time it needs to be kept the same, and whether being the same just means it looks the same as the paper version, or every single electronic bit must be the same.
I also asked about what notarial acts require the notary to establish the identity of the signer. She agree that the notary only needs to ID the signer when Vermont law § 5363 "Requirements for certain notarial acts" says so. That is, acknowledgements, verifications on oath or affirmation, and signature witnessing.
The notarial acts that don't require the notary to ID the person they are dealing with are copy certification, protests*, and oaths/affirmations that are not verification. Examples of non-verification oaths/affirmations would be oaths before oral testimony and oaths of office.
It looks like public hearings on proposed permanent rules should occur in two months or so.
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| Msg #648172
10 replies | notary self employment tax | By Gavina Franklin on 4/5/24 11:14am
Did something changed regarding our notary income from self-employment tax? My cpa stated that " The percentage of gross income that is exempt notary income is calculated and then that percentage is applied to the net income to determine the amount that is excludable." so in my case I have to report less exemption.
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