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January 24, 2011

A Notary from Florida travels to India

Filed under: Best Humorous Posts,Humorous Posts — Tags: , , — admin @ 10:53 am

A customer went to a Notary in Florida.

CUSTOMER: I need to be notarized. Can you notarize me?

FLORIDA NOTARY: Sure I can. I just need a document.

CUSTOMER: Here is the document.

FLORIDA NOTARY: You already signed it. I cannot notarize it.

CUSTOMER: That’s not what the law says. Notaries are required to know their state laws. And anyway, you can verify the signature when I sign your journal.

FLORIDA NOTARY: But my state doesn’t require me to keep a journal.

CUSTOMER: What if I give you a fake ID, steal a million dollars from Fred’s house, and then disappear. You are the one who will be the suspect in court because you have no evidence to defend yourself. You became a Notary to make a few extra bucks and now look what happened.

FLORIDA NOTARY: I don’t think I feel comfortable notarizing you.

CUSTOMER: I don’t think I feel comfortable being notarized BY you.

(one month later)

Mr. FIBBS: My house was compromised and I’m out a million dollars. You were the Notary who notarized the transaction. The FBI is investigating and we need to see your journal.

FLORIDA NOTARY: Oh, I don’t keep a journal because my state doesn’t require me to.

FBI: Mr. Florida Notary, please come with us. You are under arrest for identity fraud conspiracy.

FLORIDA NOTARY: But, I’m not in cahutz with anyone. I just notarized a document.

FBI: Yes, but without the journal and a journal thumbprint, you are covering up incriminating evidence which makes you look very suspicious which is why you are under arrest.

Mr. FIBBS: My life is ruined and all because of that damn Notary and the damn Florida Notary Division which doesn’t require the one thing that would have saved my finances — namely a journal with paw prints. Boo hoo hoo. I’ll be in a mess for at least a year and could end up homeless too.

(two days later after paying bail.)

FLORIDA NOTARY: Oh no, my son needs a new kidney and the only place I can get one is in India. I’ll book our flights today and hope I get back in time for my court appearance as a suspect in an identity fraud ring.

RAHUL: Yes, Ms. Frieda Florida Notary Public. We can have your kidney which you have been on a list for two years come in on Friday. It will be no problem. You will need to show up at that Rajeev Gandhi National Hospital in Bangalore on the 3rd. Will that be okay?

FLORIDA NOTARY: Yes, that will be fine.

TAXI DRIVER: Where are you going?

FLORIDA NOTARY: We are going to the Rajeev Gandhi Hospital in JP Nagar in Bangalore.

TAXI DRIVER: That will be 80 rupees. Meter broken.

(ten minutes later there was a terrible crash.)

FLORIDA NOTARY: Oh no, we’ve been in a deadly car crash since we were dodging that elephant to the right and that ox to the left. My son is dead. And this cab has no seatbelts. You Mr. Taxi Driver are responsible for my son’s death because there are no seatbelts in this vehicle.

TAXI DRIVER: Oh no, you see in India, we are not LEGALLY REQUIRED to have seatbelts. So, you see it is not my fault. Accidents happen, what can you do?

FLORIDA NOTARY: Now my life is ruined because of that damned taxi driver and the damned Indian government for not requiring thumbprints.

(coincidentally, the driver carrying the kidney was in the car that crashed into Florida Notary and was also killed because he too was not wearing a seatbelt, and the kidney went flying out the window and ended up on the back of an elephant.)

TAXI DRIVER: Yes, Mr. pharmacist, I need some holistic remedy to a bug infestation in my house. What do you recommend?

PHARMACIST: There is tea tree oil. It is not expensive and microscopic insects are often killed from it.

(the taxi driver uses the tea tree oil and has a horrible reaction to it that ends him up in the hospital for two days.)

TAXI DRIVER: Hey, that oil you sold me is toxic to humans and you did not warn me.

PHARMACIST: The government of India, and coincidentally America does not regulate this type of products. You buy at your own risk.

(meanwhile Mr. Fibbs and his wife move to India since they lost almost all of their money in the identity theft and get exactly the same taxi driver that the Florida Notary did.)

Mr. FIBBS: Taxi! We are going to the Himalayas to live. We lost almost all our money because of this damn Notary. Can you believe it?”

TAXI DRIVER: Was she about 5’10”, dark hair and really annoying, with a thick Florida accent?

Mr. FIBBS: Yes, that was her. Why. Do you know her?

TAXI DRIVER: Never seen her in my life. No just kidding. She was in our car when a bus came out of nowhere and I had to swerve to the left and there was a terrible accident. This type of thing happens a lot in India. Maybe I’m telling you too much.

Mr. FIBBS: Well that woman deserves to die.

TAXI DRIVER: Funny that you mention that. And by the way, what do you do for a living?

Mr. FIBBS: I give investment advice.

TAXI DRIVER: Oh, I know somebody who needs advice at the pharmacy.

PHARMACIST: Yes, Mr. Fibbs. I am wanting to know, which US stocks are you liking?

Mr. FIBBS: You could pick a good index fund, but my favorite is Cola Cola stock. They have a good business model and solid management. I would put most of my money in that stock if I only bought one stock.

PHARMACIST: You saved my life.

(two weeks later coca-cola stock crashes, Mr. Fibbs and his wife decide it is better to be paupers in America then live in India under any circumstances and our characters all meet again.)

PHARMACIST: Mr. Fibbs. You are back. But, I have lost all my money. Coca-Cola stock crashed. You have given me very bad advice. Very very bad advice. You are a very very bad man.

Mr. FIBBS: First of all, Coca-Cola is a very solid company. But, you can’t buy a stock and sell it on a whim under unfavorable circumstances or you could lose your money with any stock. And second, I am NOT LEGALLY REQUIRED to back my investment advice. It is just an opinion and not an intrinsic truth. I am not a psychic.

PSYCHIC: Did someone call? I can tell you your future. You will be broke and die in misery. 50 rupees please. I need a new turban. This one makes me look fat.

ALL WATCHING: Get lost!!!!

PHARMACIST: You ruined my life. You damned investment advisor and your damn American laws not requiring that you take responsibility for what you tell people.

TAXI DRIVER: Well you almost ended my life with that tea tree oil without a warning.

FLORIDA NOTARY: (who came out of nowhere) well you ended my son’s life because you didn’t bother having seatbelts. It wouldn’t kill you to invest a thousand rupees to save someone’s life.

Mr. FIBBS: Well you ruined my finances by not having a journal. It costs $15 to have a journal and another $16 to get a thumbprinter from the NNA. I know this because I was so upset with you that I decided to become a Notary. But instead of being a shoddy Notary, I decided to become the most thorough Notary in the world besides Jeremy at 123notary.com who by the way is an ex-Notary, but a very thorough ex-Notary.

TAXI DRIVER: I guess we all ruined each others lives. Perhaps it is our karma that we should meet under such unfortunate circumstances.

GURU: I have been observing this entire conversation and situation for the last month and it is in deed very karmically perplexing, complex and yet still deeply interesting. I have only one more thing to say.

TAXI DRIVER: What’s that?

GURU: Tag — you’re it!!!!!

.

You might also like:

I was forced to forge my own signature in India
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19306

Indian Notaries having an arranged marriage
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19222

Notary Indian tandoori restaurant
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16497

30 minute Islamic prayer break at a signing & other stories
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16185

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January 20, 2011

Safe notarizing is like safe sex. Don’t have unprotected notarizations!

Filed under: Best Practices — admin @ 1:04 am

Can you imagine that Florida’s FAQ page forbids Notaries from requiring a journal thumbprint? The thumbprint is the one piece of evidence that can nail an identity thief and is the most compelling evidence to prove that the Notary is not in cahutz with the ring of identity thieves as well. You are protecting yourself as well as society. So, why would Florida want you to endanger everybody?

India does not require people to have seatbelts, but if you don’t use a seatbelt in India, you might end up going through a windshield onto the other side of the highway and end up with a skull fracture. The fact that India doesn’t require seatbelts doesn’t make it any more safe to go without using one.

A thumbprint is to notarizing what an airbag & seatbelt is to safe driving.
Proper identification practices like making sure the name on the document is provable based on the name on the identification document is just like wearing a seatbelt. For the most part, you don’t get into accidents. You will probably not be in a serious accident in your entire life. But, it is possible that you or a family member will be in a bad accident, and if you aren’t wearing your seat belt at that exact instant when the accident happens, you could end up dead. Not taking a journal thumbprint is like not having an airbag. If you notarize 10,000 people without incident and then customer 10,001 happens to be an identity thief, it is the thumbprint that will help the authorities catch him. If you don’t keep a thumbprint, you could end up named as a suspect in a law suit, be a witness in a long law suit and you don’t get paid for sitting in court, etc.

Heterosexual AIDS is rare in the USA, but exists.
When you have intercourse, if you sleep around, some people have diseases. You cannot know who is having an outbreak or who has a disease. People who are smart, either abstain from sleeping with people who they don’t have a serious relationship with, or use protection. It is rare in America that you would have the misfortune of having intercourse with someone hetersexual who is not an introvenous drug user who has AIDS, but it could happen in the heterosexual community. You might sleep with 10,000 heterosexuals and feel safe because nothing bad happened so far. But, with person 10,001, that person might have AIDS and give it to you. This is why you should keep a thumbprint, otherwise you might get the notarial equivalent of AIDS which is being a witness or suspect in a lengthy and expensive law suit regarding identity theft.

15% of full-time Notaries will end up in court
Identity theft is rampant, but as a full-time Notary, you only have a roughly 15% of ever appearing before a judge or being part of any serious investigation — and that is during your career and not during any particular career. Although I have met a few Notaries who have appeared before judges twice or been investigated three times. Maybe that is their karma.

Don’t have unprotected notarizations.
What you have to understand is that when you notarize someone, you are not just notarizing them. You are notarizing them, and anyone they’ve been notarized by, and anyone they’ve been notarized by has notarized, and so on and so on. If any of them are an identity thief, you could end up with AITS (the notarial equivalent of AIDS) which is acquired identity theft syndrome. The proper use of thumbprints reduces the risk of AITS to almost zero. So, use a thumbprint and be safe. Don’t have unprotected notarizations!

Safe notarizing! Because certain things weren’t meant to be shared!
.

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13 ways to get sued as a Notary
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19614

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January 8, 2011

10 reasons why the State Notary divisions should be nationalized.

Filed under: Public Interest — admin @ 1:23 am

Normally I am in favor of state rights. But, as far as Notary Public issues are concerned, the states are not doing a good job except for California for whom I would give a C. Here are some compelling reasons why the notary divisions should be nationalized.

1. Education
Most states either do not have educational programs for Notaries, or don’t have very good educational programs. The state notary handbooks have a variety of laws and practices, but do not generally spell out exactly how to interpret or apply laws or what to do in particular situations that arise regularly that could cause confusion or danger. Some states have too many laws which make it hard to learn them all. While other states have too few laws. If we would have just the right amount of laws, and those laws would be nationalized, and well taught, there would be a higher percent of highly informed Notaries who do their job correctly at all times which is my goal.

2. Testing
Not all states have a Notary Test. Those that do have a Notary test normally have a multiple choice written test. Testing people on nitpicky legal issues is fine and dandy, but if a Notary cannot fill in a journal or forms correctly then what good are they? Hands on testing and testing people to see how they handle curve-balls such as legal requests that seem illegal or illegal requests that seem legal is absolutely necessary in my opinion.

3. Auditing
Notaries get away with all sorts of mischief in all states. Most Notaries not only omit legally required Oaths, but claim not to understand my instructions when I ask them to give me an Oath on a document. Many Notaries do not keep their journal correctly which is a danger to society. If there is identity theft, the journal is the only means to know what happened at a transaction and the journal thumbprint is the only way the FBI can catch the bad guys in many cases. Notaries nationwide need to be checked up upon once or twice a year to make sure they are not doing anything wrong. For the government to have time to check up on everyone, there needs to be fewer Notaries otherwise the job would take too long.

4. Standardization of Notary Acts
There are many variations on Notary Acts from state to state. It can be confusing for interstate transactions and for people who run nationwide Notary associations. It is easier if there are standardized acts nationwide and standardized laws.

5. Thumbprinting
Many Notaries on 123notary helped the FBI catch some awful criminals who did Ponzi schemes, identity theft and more. It was the thumbprint that was the critical piece of evidence that helped catch the bad guys. Most Notaries outside of CA feel they should not have to take thumbprints. Having national laws requiring thumbprints is the only way to safeguard society from cons.

6. Quality Standards
Before a prospective Notary takes a course, they should take a quick IQ test and personality test to see if they are well adjusted to be a Notary Public. Someone with an IQ of 100-120 who is anal, picky, has tremendous integrity, and follows the law to the letter and fills out forms correctly every time would be the ideal candidate to be a Notary. People who have screws loose are dangerous as Notaries because they will accept illegal requests becuase they can’t keep the law straight in their head. I find this out during testing as my over the phone test asks people which situations are acceptable to notarize and more than half of our Notaries decline legal requests while accepting illegal requests. Quality control is easier on a national level to make sure all Notaries know what they are doing to a T.

7. Notary Fees
Most states have ridiculously low Notary Fees. To attract good Notaries, Notary fees need to be at least $20 for the first Notary act and at least $40 for a travel fee for jobs more than 25 minutes away. Notaries in states that pay 50 cents for a Notary act tend not to be very good Notaries. Can you imagine why?

My recommendations

1. Four days of Notary education training that covers laws, processes, identifying people, administering Oaths, form filling, journals, and dealing with legal vs. illegal requests. One day of training is not enough to do a thorough job of covering all the bases here. Additionally, a refresher course for a few hours once or twice a year might help keep knowledge solidly in a Notary’s head as well.

2. A written and hands on test that could be one on one makes sense. What good is knowing the law if you don’t know how to fill in necessary forms?

3. Higher fees to become a Notary. To weed out applicants that are not serious, higher fees and more days of school will weed out people who don’t absolutely want to become a Notary Public.

4. The government should check up on Notaries at least once per year to make sure they are not skimping on responsibilities or accepting illegal requests. An undercover government worker could coerce the Notary to do something illegal to see if the Notary would comply and then fine the Notary if the Notary complied.

5. State websites (taken over by the Feds) should spell out all Notary situations and applications of laws. Identification standards should be the most emphasized as that is a huge area of contention. Names on ID’s do not always exactly match names on documents and formal standards for handling every type of mismatch should be documented on websites.

6. Most states do not make it clear that an Acknowledged signature can be signed (in 44 states) prior to appearing before the Notary Public. Most Notaries are falsely under the impression that they need to witness acknowledged signatures. What good are laws if the laws are not clearly explained? This is the most clear cut example of a law that is misinterpreted more than it is correctly interpreted. Thank God I went to a good Notary school when I became a Notary!

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January 6, 2011

The Notary can be named as a suspect if their record keeping is flawed

Filed under: Notary Mistakes — admin @ 1:07 am

I test Notaries by phone daily to see if they are fit to be on my site. The results of the testing are that I have to accept people who shouldn’t be Notaries just because I’m desperate for people in certain remote areas. However, bad Notarial record keeping is not only a headache for me during testing. It is dangerous for society and for the Notary as well. Failing to keep thumbprints makes it impossible for the FBI to catch identity thieves. ID’s can be falsified, so without hard evidence like a thumbprint, you cannot catch the bad guys. However, there’s more.

When the FBI interviews a Notary during an identity fraud case, the Notary is considered a suspect. After all, they were involved in the transaction. You might not think of yourself as a suspect, but the Feds do, because it would be easy for you to be involved, especially if you don’t keep your books correctly.

If your books are filled out with one journal entry per person per document, and each entry is signed and with a thumbprint — that is thorough bookkeeping. Less than 10% of Notaries nationwide keep their journal completely correctly. Here are some ways you could make yourself look more suspicious and perhaps end up in court for a long time.

1. If you put multiple documents in each journal entry, the signer or FBI could claim that you added extra documents AFTER the signing to defraud the signer. You cannot prove that you did not add those documents after the signing, so your hands are tied. This is why you have the signed sign off for each document which you cannot do unless there is a separate journal entry for each document.

2. If you put “loan docs” in a journal entry without specifying the exact names of the loan documents in separate journal entries, you could be accused of forging signatures on additional documents. Since you didn’t record which exact documents you notarized, you could claim anything and there is no evidence one way or the other to prove your innocence.

3. If you use one journal entry for more than one signer you create a mess as multiple signers would have to sign a journal entry where their ID information probably would not fit.

4. If you simply do not keep a journal as it is not required by law in your state you could be easily considered a suspect in identity theft and would have zero evidence to prove your innocence.

5. If you keep proper journal entries, but refuse to thumbprint the signer on a Deed or Power of Attorney (serious documents that affect people’s lives and property) you could be accused of concealing the signer’s true identity if they used a false identification card forged in China ($200 market price by the way.)

6. If you think an ID is the real person because the ID looks like him. Consider that in Iraq, ISIS kills people and sells their passports to other people who look similar for about 1200 Euros.

7. There are corrupt people at the DMV who make falsified driver’s licenses which look real because they are real, but with falsified information. Those bad people normally get caught eventually, but have a good run for a while creating all types of chaos in society. Many were charging $500 for a false ID so I heard.

If you keep proper journal entries and thumbprints, it will be more clear to investigators and judges that you take identifying signers very seriously and cover your tracks in case there is any hanky panky. ID’s can be forged, but you cannot forge a thumbprint unless you wear a latex pad on your thumb with someone else’s prints which the Notary would easily detect. Cover your tracks, and your court cases will be dismissed faster based on the experiences of the Notaries on our site!

.

You might also like:

Compilation of posts about Notary fraud
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21527

10 risks to being a Mobile Notary Public
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19459

What entities might want to see your journal?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20902

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March 28, 2010

2019 TWEETS

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 7:44 am

MARCH 2019 TWEETS

Snapdocs — racially disproportionate
Have you noticed that in a country that is 12% black, that Snapdocs is more than 20% or down south more like 80% black? Ooops, I meant to say, “African-American.”

Snapdocs… racially disproportionate

Bostonians visit Los Angeles and describe their visit
If you think mimicking a Boston accent is hard, try typing it and omitting all of the r’s.

Bostonians visit Los Angeles and describe their visit

A testimonial about 123notary from Marcie

A testimonial about us from Marcie

What makes a p#10 preferential listing do well on 123notary?

What makes a p#10 preferential listing do well on 123notary?

Feast or famine in the notary industry
On Notary Cafe, a small minority of the Notaries get 90% of the work. Hmm. Why is it that way?

Feast or famine in the Notary industry

A list of things you probably forgot to put in your notes.
How thoroughly did you document your experience? Did you mention a catchy phrase? How about special skills?

A list of things you probably forgot to put in your notes section

So, the mobile notary well has gone dry.
Did another well or go find a new place.

So the Mobile Notary Well has gone Dry

To do well with a high placed listing, you need 6000 loans signed.
If you lack experience, go get some. You won’t rake in the bucks unless you have knowledge, reviews, and experience and can prove it too.

To do well with a high placed listing, you need 6000 loans signed

Which analytics get you more clicks and why? A change in the 123notary analytics system. We’re giving reviews more weight, but communication skills take the cake.

Which analytics get you more clicks and why? A change in the 123notary analytics system.

A tour of Notary cafe reveals that business is slow based on job stats.

A tour of Notary Cafe reveals that business is slow based on job stats

High placed listings — which ones get more clicks and why?
Which is worse, arguing with Jeremy or interrupting you. The click stats reveal an intriguing answer or interpretation.

High placed listings – which ones get more clicks and why?

Is it a Federal crime to make a photocopy of a military ID card?

Is it a Federal crime to make a photocopy of a military ID card?

Marriage therapy for Notaries
She always nags me about my signature. How does his signature make you feel?

Marriage therapy for Notaries

How do I find a German speaking Notary Public?

How do I find a German speaking Notary Public?

Wells Fargo Power of Attorney Form

Wells Fargo Power of Attorney Form

Dr. Phil moderates dispute: Notaries vs. Signing Companies
The Notaries are tired of low-ball fees. But, the signing companies want better Notaries.

Dr. Phil moderates dispute: Notaries vs. Signing Companies

Blog topics on customer feedback.
When to report someone to the FBI, SOS, or KGB. And also what to do with Notaries who don’t administer Oaths when legally required.

Blog topics based on customer feedback…

Tips for people in Native American reservations to prosper
Farming, solar power, marketing, manufacturing and more. Having lots of cheap land can be used to your advantage.

Tips for people in Native American reservations to prosper

Will and Grace – the mini notary seal
Jack wants to get an outfit, but an outfit for his little dog or his seal? He wants to be a notary so he can meet cute guys.

Will & Grace — the mini notary seal

Why you shouldn’t use an online Notary.
It is less secure and opens up more opportunities for fraud or identity theft. Why expose yourself?

Why You Shouldn’t Use an Online Notary

Snapdocs: When the texts stop

Snapdocs: When the texts stop

Jeremy’s trip to Texas (yee-haw)
Yes, I drove from Los Angeles to Houston and met all kinds of people in Chinatown, experienced other people’s road range and then headed to Dallas for Dim Sum and then had many other adventures.

Jeremy’s trip to Texas (yee-haw)

How do you get something notarized if you don’t have ID?
Some states allow credible witnesses. But in the long run you need ID.

How do you get something notarized if you don’t have ID?

Bikers on boats; Notaries heisting signatures.
Hand over your signatures — this is a heist. But we have no signatures? Then start signing mates!

Bikers on boats; Notaries heisting signatures

Can a Notary sign on a different day?
There is a transaction date, signature date, rescission date, notarization date, (sorry, no lunch dates in this article).

Can a notary sign on a different day?

How long is a notary term of office good for (state by state)

How many years is a notary term of office good for?

Can we turn the industry around?
Carmen and I are trying to make our influence, but you guys need to help out too!

Can we turn the industry around?

A Notary can get a job at a bank more easily.

A Notary can get a job in a bank more easily

FEB 2019

Notary Services Near Me

Notary Services Near Me

Where can I find Notary services near me
http://blog.123notary.com/?tag=notary-services-near-me

Notary Public Journal
If someone forges your seal, and you don’t keep a journal, it is hard to prove that you were not the person who did the alleged notarization. Learn proper journal entry procedures in this article.

Notary Public Journal

Notary Public Seal
Learn all the components of a notary seal including vocabulary words such as “serrated.”

Notary Public Seal

Notary Public Education
Where to get resources for Notary education. BTW, start with your state handbook.

Notary Public Education

Can you become a notary if you have a felony conviction?

Can you become a Notary if you have a felony conviction?

Trusted enrollment agent
What are they and what do they do. If they are Japanese would they be a Green TEA?

TEA — Trusted Enrollment Agent

Apostille – general information

Apostille – General Information

How many years is a notary commission good for?

How many years is a Notary commission good for?

Notarizing multi-page documents.
How do you deter page swapping? Read my secret techniques.

Notarizing Multi-Page Documents

Beneficial Interest
What is the difference between beneficial interest, financial interest and conflict of interest? Three different types of interest rates!

Beneficial Interest

Notary Oath of Office information
Don’t forget to file your Oath & Bond with the county clerk!

Notary Oath of Office Information

Can a notary get into trouble?

Can a Notary get in trouble?

Notaries who fail the California notary exam

Notaries who fail the California Notary exam

Notarizing confidential marriage licenses

Notarizing confidential marriage licenses

How do you notarize a copy of a passport?

How do you notarize a copy of a passport?

Parties involved in a Power of Attorney.
Do you know what a grantor, grantee, agent, attorney in fact, custodian and principle are? Better learn otherwise you will appear ignorant.

Parties involved in a Power of Attorney

Certifying a Power of Attorney

Certifying a Power of Attorney

Proof of Execution.
The Notary act where the signer doesn’t have to show up. Really? Next thing you’re going to tell me is that the signer doesn’t have to sign.

Proof of Execution

Mission Impossible — Notary Version
The deranged high school drop out doesn’t want the family to move, but Tom Cruise, jumps off a tall building with a paraglider, chases people down a narrow street, and reads a bumper sticker that says, “Honk if you hate Scientology.” and then saves the day!

Mission Impossible — Notary Version

Compilation of best blog posts from 2010
These are the absolute best posts of all time. Hope you like them.

Compilation – Best blog posts from 2010

Credible Witness Notary — information & resources

Credible Witness Notary — information & resources

Banks need Notaries to be on staff

Banks need Notaries to be on staff

The me too movement affects Notaries in the workplace at a bank.
A female employee complains about sexual harassment because a male co-worker compliments her on her seal.

The Me Too Movement affects Notaries in the workplace at a bank

JAN 2019

My health regimin left me without my favorite foods
No more pakora, fried chicken or large portions of meat…

My new health regimen left me without my favorite foods

How I succeeded creating an online business.
Creating a product that is easy to use with well refined search results isn’t easy, but made me some big bucks.

How I succeeded creating an online business

Can a notary go to jail for notary fraud?
Notaries do a lot of illegal things out of ignorance and negligence. But, sometimes they steal property using their commissions as well.

Can a Notary go to jail for Notary fraud?

Can a Notary act as a witness?
Notaries can witness Wills, acknowledged signatures, capacity, or be a credible witness. What about witnessing a crime?

Can a Notary Act as a Witness?

Witnessing a will
Some people prefer to hire a notary to witness a will since they are professional at witnessing signatures in general.

Witnessing a Will

Find a 24 hour Notary
Last minute okay. Hospital, jail and office visits okay too.

24 Hour Notary

Notary Hyatt Regency
Do I sign the journal based on when I made the reservation or the date I check in? But, can you get notarized in the hot tub? Find out!

Notary Hyatt Regency

California Acknowledgment
Learn all of the components of the new acknowledgment

California Acknowledgment

What are mobile notary fees?
It should depend on experience, time of day, type of job, distance, and waiting time. But, what do you think?

What are Mobile Notary Fees?

Notarized Letter
A detailed Q&A all about how to draft, notarize, and file a notarized letter.

Notarized Letter

A Notary discusses costs with Jeremy.
The notary wants to spend 30 minutes talking about suing someone for $1.96 instead of making some real money.

A Notary discusses costs with Jeremy

Notary Etiquette 104 – contents
Learn about handling initial calls, confirming the signing, general etiquette, answering questions, and see our best links on the topic as well.

Notary Etiquette 104 – Contents

Notary Etiquette 104 – humorous edition
Avoid polyester jackets from the 70’s, don’t be fashionably late, don’t do Oaths for dogs, and it may be time to retire if your email address says “aol.com” as a suffix!

Notary Etiquette 104 — Humorous Edition

Answering questions the way they were asked.
Do you beat around the bush or get straight to the point. In space, nobody can hear you scream and at signings, nobody wants to hear you ramble.

Notary Etiquette 104 — Answering Questions the Way They Were Asked

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May 1, 2021

Precautions as a notary are like wearing your seat belt

Filed under: Best Practices — admin @ 6:28 am

One out of seven seasoned Notaries I talked to has ended up in court at least once. Generally this happens because of something outside of the Notary’s control. Fraud, theft, or someone taking advantage of a confused elder are the main reasons for court cases.

Notaries who have never been to court think it will never happen to them. It is like car accidents. Bad ones do not happen much, but when they do, if you are not wearing a seatbelt and/or don’t have good airbags, you might be in big trouble. Just because it hasn’t happened yet, doesn’t mean it won’t happen tomorrow, or in twenty years. So, take precautions. Think of these as wearing a facemask if that makes it more relatable.

If a signer is senile, elderly, in a hospital or nursing home, make sure you can identify they correctly and that they can explain to you what they are signing. Don’t ask yes or no questions as they will say yes to anything and are probably on morphine and not all there. If they go over the document point by point, then they know what they are signing today. They might not remember a year from now though, and that is dangerous for you if it goes to court.

Your journal is your only evidence, so if you say, “My state doesn’t require a journal” you are a fool. The state might not require it, but a judge or investigator needs the journal as that is your only evidence of what actually happened.

PRECAUTIONS
1. Make sure the name on the ID proves the name on the document. Don’t use the “you can have more but not less” rule, because notaries always forget which document you can have more on – the ID or the document. So, remember my rule. “The name on the ID must prove the name on the document.” The ID name can be matching but longer, or matching and identical to prove the name.

2. Take a thumbprint unless your state forbids it. I personally might take a thumbprint anyway in Texas because the state forbids selling or distributing that information and not taking it — and that is your only hard evidence of the identity of the signer. Fake ID’s abound, but fake thumbprints do not.

3. In the “Additional Notes” section of your journal write down about the situation, the mental state of the signer, who else is there, and that the signer explained the document to you. This could save your rear if you go to court three years later because you will not remember what happened off the top of your head. Write down anything else noteworthy about the situation to job your memory when investigated.

4. Decline jobs that are too sketchy or if you are unsure that the signer knows what is going on.

5. Have the signer verify who the other people are with them if they are elderly. Sometimes they are not related and sometimes they are scamming the signer.

6. Make sure you know how to give Oaths correctly. You could lose your commission if a judge finds out otherwise.

SUMMARY
I was investigated 3 times, but had my paperwork and thumbprints in order. It took me minutes to query jobs done a year or so ago since I had a stack of journals all in chronological order. I always identified people correctly and took notes in my journal for credible witnesses and other pertinent facts. Be sure to do the same, or even more. If you do everything correctly, you still might end up in court, but it will be a shorter case as you have more compelling evidence as to what happened — especially the thumbprint which is your only hardcoded proof of identity.

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