October 2013 - Notary Blog - Signing Tips, Marketing Tips, General Notary Advice - 123notary.com
123Notary

Notary Blog – Signing Tips, Marketing Tips, General Notary Advice – 123notary.com Control Panel

October 26, 2013

How to Notarize a Copy of a Passport

Filed under: Popular on Twitter 2013,Popular Overall,SEO,Technical & Legal,Ultra-Popular — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 7:58 pm

Notarize a copy of a passport

There is always some confusion about the legality of copying and notarizing official documents. You cannot notarize a birth certificate, marriage or death certificate. There is no official certification procedure for getting a certified copy of a passport. California notaries can make a certified copy of a power of attorney, but that is the only type of document that you can get a certified copy of. So, what type of notary act can you do to notarize that copy of your passport?

There is a notary act called a copy certfication by document custodian. This is basically a Jurat with some unique wording. It makes the sign swear under oath to the accuracy and completeness of the copy. It is common for students to have copies of transcripts notarized using this procedure. I used the copy certification by document custodian form regularly when I was a notary since it was the only way to accommodate requests for copies.

Many notaries do not carry the form for the certification by document custodian Jurat procedure, so if you need this done, figure out ahead of time whether or not the Notary has the forms that are acceptable to whomever you are submitting your document to as they are the boss in a sense.

You might also like:

Notarize copies of passports (Forum)
http://www.123notary.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1904

Can a resident alien card be used for a notarization?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8282

A California Notary Acknowledgment goes to Taiwan
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6981

Share
>

October 24, 2013

He made $35,000 a month his first year in business?

Filed under: How to get work; Who is getting work,Ninja Theme Articles,NSA Pricing, Fees & Income,Popular on Facebook (A little),Popular on Twitter 2013,Popular Overall — Tags: , , — admin @ 4:51 am

He what? He made how much? Am I dreaming? Who is this guy?

I just got off the phone with him. I will not disclose his location or name for his privacy. I just talked with a particular gentleman who has multiple listings on 123notary.com. He says these listings bring him so much business that the phone is ringing off the hook and he is reeling in the business. But, $35,000 a month? He says this is his first year in business as a mobile notary. He hires people on salary to drive around and do signings. He pays for the car and other expenses himself and pays them an hourly salary (not big bucks, so don’t get your hopes up). The sheer volume of business this guy is getting is amazing.

Honestly, from talking to him, he sounds like a very cool guy, and very motivated. He fits the profile of a winner in my book. But, still, this type of success is unprecedented in someone’s first year. I understand that the market is picking up for notaries, but still. We have another gentleman who is running a very similar type of operation and very successfully. He has notaries in four or five states and pays them on salary. He gets business right and left and has a huge staff in the office and in the field.

So, if your business is not all it can be, think about what the personality traits of a success story are. There are many successes on 123notary, and you can be one of them. Be an up beat person who gets the job done and doesn’t create obstacles for others. If others create obstacles for you, then create systematic policies for dealing with these problems instead of complaining. Remember — winners find solutions. My idea is to try to adopt the mind-set of someone whose business is off the hook, and that will help you be one of the notaries who is on your way to a huge success!

Tweets:
(1) He bought 8 listings on 123notary.com, hired people to do signings for him & made $35000/month!
(2) If your business could be better, think about what the personality traits of a success story are.
(3) Be an upbeat person who gets the job done and doesn’t create obstacles for others.
(4) If others create obstacles for you, then create policies for dealing with these problems instead of complaining. Winners find solutions.

You might also like:

$10,000 a month on a bad month
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3891

The Notary, The Mafia & The FedEx Drop Box
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3891

Share
>

October 23, 2013

What makes a mobile notary a mobile notary?

Filed under: Loan Signing 101,Popular on Twitter 2013,Popular Overall,Signing Tips — Tags: , , — admin @ 9:35 am

We get calls everyday from notaries around the country who want to be a mobile notary. They always ask, “What do I need to do to become a mobile notary?” I tell them to become commissioned as a notary in their state and then get in you car — then you are a notary, and you are mobile.

But, you should really learn how to be specialized in mobile notary work. Notaries who work in an office notarize simple forms all day long. Mobile notaries have to deal with very different issues. Loan signing is no easy task, and there are many snags, delays, and complications along the way. You should take a loan signing course from 123notary.com to learn the ins and outs of the entire procedure from A to Z as well as how to market your service.

But, non-loan signing mobile notary work is complicated too. There is a lot of work going to places where they can’t drive themselves such as hospitals, convalescent homes, jails, prisons, movie sets, busy offices (too busy to drive), and late night visits to people’s homes for last minute travel or school documents.

Mobile Notaries also need to know what to do if people don’t have the right ID. After you have driven 40 minutes to a job, you are invested in the completion of the job. You need to know how to get your trip fee before you see the signer & documents (takes being pushy and negotiating in advance), you need to negotiate your waiting time, and you need to know how to use credible witnesses to identify a signer if there is no ID. Most states allow credible witnesses, but you can research whether yours does or not.

Have fun becoming a mobile notary public. It is a rewarding profession, and 123notary can help you a lot in your pursuit of a profitable mobile notary business.

Tweets:
(1) You just need a notary commission & a car to be a mobile notary, but signing agent training really helps!
(2) Anybody can become a mobile notary, but to be a good one, you need training!

You might also like:

What is a Notary Public?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6498

Compilation of Notary stories
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21898

He made $35,000 a month his first year!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3894

Share
>

October 21, 2013

Can you notarize someone’s initials?

Filed under: Legal Issues,Technical & Legal — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 7:20 am

Can you notarize someone’s initials?

It is fun to read all of the various notary questions that people have. But, a notary may only legally notarize a signature of a living person who appears before the notary public.

However, it is common for signers to be required (not required by the notary, but required by the document custodian or lender or other entity) to initial all of the pages of a Deed of Trust, Power of Attorney or perhaps a Note. There are other documents that are often initialed as well. It is never a legal requirement to initial a document, but it might be a business requirement for certain financial or business entities just to make sure that pages are not swapped after the notarization.

Initialing pages of a longer document is more of a “best practice” to deter fraud. It is harder to swap a page if there is an initial on it. However, Title companies are known to forge the initials of a signer just to save time — if the signer forgot to. Imagine that documents went to a borrower’s house, and the borrower signed the documents, and had them Fedexed back to the lender. If the borrower forgot an initial, it is a huge pain to bring those documents back. It is easier to commit forgery of an initial even though that is a serious crime!

Getting back to the main point of this article, no, a notary cannot notarize someone’s initials.

You might also like:

The 30 point course’s guide to initialing
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14463

Why do I have to sign with my middle initial?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4452

Tutorial on initialing
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14463

Share
>

October 20, 2013

Can a resident alien card or permanent resident card be used for being notarized?

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — admin @ 7:48 am

Each state has different rules for what type of identification is suitable for being notarized. The California Notary Handbook does NOT specify if a Green Card, Resident Alien Card, or Permanent Resident Card may be used as identification for being notarized!

However, if you have a current “California approved” (a card that meets California standards) identification card that has — a photograph, description of the person, signature of the person, and an identifying number: then you are in good shape and can be notarized.

Since a green card or resident alien card is not on the approved list of identification cards in the California Notary Public Handbook, it is recommendable to use a passport, state issued identification card, or driver license.

You might also like:

Notary Public 101 – identification
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19507

Compilation of Notary stories
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21898

Identification requirements for being notarized
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4299

Share
>

October 19, 2013

Notarized Document Expired Identification

Filed under: Identification For Being Notarized — admin @ 8:18 am

Using expired identification cards

As a notary public, you will be bombarded with various types of identification — some will be current, some expired, some foreign, and some forged.

Expired ID? Check the issue date!
Some states allow an ID to be used for a particular number of years after the issue date. Many identification cards will document the issue date somewhere on the ID even if they don’t say what that date is. You can kind of guess what that date represents because it is not their birth date or expiration date. Using expired identification cards might be legal in particular states. California and Tennessee allow a notary to use an ID within five years of its origination date / date of issue.

Check your state’s notary handbook to find out the current laws in your state regarding what types of identification are legitimate in your state! Using expired ID cards just might be okay just as long as they are not “too old”.

If you cannot get identification that is acceptable in your state, many states allow the use of credible witnesses that can swear to the identity of the signer. Those witnesses are normally friends, relatives, hall mates, or neighbors of the signer.

You might also like:

What’s your sign? A technique for spotting false ID.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19638

Credible Witnesses – the ins and outs
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19634

Notary Public 101 – Identification
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19507

Share
>

October 18, 2013

Cross Out and Initial

Filed under: Best Practices — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 7:29 am

Cross out and initial

What if you are in the notary business and you just made a mistake, or someone else made a mistake in a document. Simple, just cross out and initial, right? Maybe not. Putting aside the questionability of the legitimacy of a document with cross-outs, the future document custodian might not like cross-outs.

Picture yourself as a lender. You are having a loan signed, so you can sell the loan to yet another bank. That other bank doesn’t like it when people cross out and initial information on their loan documents. It looks sloppy and unprofessional to them. So, as a notary, what do you do when there is a problem with a document? You ask your contact person what they want to do.

They can either redraw the document at great expense, coerce the borrower to sign the document “as is”, or have you cross out and initial. Let your contact person make the decision so they get in trouble — not you!

Redrawing documents means that you will have to wait for the new documents to be typed up, sent via email or FedEx, and then you need to make a new appointment with the borrower on a subsequent date.

You might also like:

The 30 point course section on cross-outs
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14406

Signing agent best practices: 63 points
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4315

Cross-out happy; Not a good idea
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4449

Industry standards in the notary business (covers cross outs, initialing, and more)
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4370

Share
>

October 17, 2013

Jurat Wording Step by Step

Filed under: Notary Acts & Certificates — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 2:49 am

Jurat Wording

Wording for Jurat Notarizations can vary from state to state. The main thing to understand in Jurat wording is that it must state that the signer appeared before the notary, signed the document before the notary, and swore under oath before the notary.

Additionally, Jurat wording or Jurat verbiage will indicate the date of the notarial act or transaction as well as a venue which constitutes the state and county where the notarial act took place!

You can typically use out of state Jurat verbiage so long as the wording is not substantially different from the Jurat wording in your state. Check with your state’s notary law handbook to verify this point.

A Jurat form could have room for a hand written statement which the signer swears to under Oath. Or, you can attach a Jurat certificate to a document which is being notarized and stamp the certificate instead of the actual document.

Signers are typically asked to raise their right hand and swear under oath during a Jurat notarization. The notary will ask an Oath question using his/her/its own choice of wording. The signer is asked to give a clear oral affirmation to that question. Most Notaries are not well practiced in the art of administering Oaths and it is recommended that they practice giving Oaths before going out in the real world notarizing for people.

Jurats are the 2nd most common type of Notary act, Acknowledgments being the 1st most common.

You might also like:

Jurat definition and a string of other Jurat related posts
http://blog.123notary.com/?s=jurat

Notarizing Children
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6947

Share
>

October 15, 2013

Notary quotes of the day

Filed under: Humorous Posts — Tags: , , , — admin @ 8:12 am

(1) “Can you do the 3rd signing for free?” That would be a good signature for an email to notaries.

(2) “An e-notary does more or less what a regular notary does. The e-notary has an electronic journal and electronic notary seal and notarizes electronic documents. Some might even have an electronic girlfriend, too!” Sept 20, 2012 blog, 123notary

(3) “We are getting to the point in society where we have to google everyone before we transact ANY kind of dealings with them.” Sept 19, 2012 blog, 123notary

(4) “There was one house that was so filthy that I had to leave, and I then reported it to the board of health. The woman who owned the home was actually a supervisor at the board of health!” Sept 16, 2012 blog, 123notary

You might also like:

Crazy names for notary services
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4231

7 famous quotes from our blogs
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3663

A slogan for a notary on 123notary
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22307

Names for notary businesses with commentary
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20765

Share
>

October 8, 2013

Interview with Title Source

Filed under: Best Practices,Loan Signing 101,Popular on Facebook (shares),Popular on Facebook (very) — Tags: , , , — admin @ 11:06 am

Me: “Many of our notaries like working with you. Can you tell me why? What do you do that is so good?”

Zee: “Notaries are intrigued by our system, our technology. We try to put it in order in our edocs. About 95% of our closings will require notaries to print out. We get things done in a timely manner. Our website is easy to logon to and provide a service. We also try to give notaries work within their area– within 20 miles.

I do instruct notaries that they can contact our scheduling team and get them to the lender as needed if there is an issue at a closing. Someone is always available. I do ask notaries not to discuss any specifics of docs with our scheduling team.

We give notaries a score 1.5 to 3.5. 1.0 is the best. If they earn a good score they get more work or a raise. Their score includes completion time–including dropping the package at FedEx; quality of work: if there is a signature missing, that would be a defect. Confirmation-turn time is also important. The fee they charge is also part of that. A good fee for us is $65, and another $20 for edocs. A refi might be $90. I pay my national companies $125 for a signing; I would also pay that to a good notary. I have to have a loan assigned to a notary within 2 hours. I let the notary tell me what fee they want. I can’t guarantee them they will get many orders at, say, $125. But if I build you a profile today, I will put you at the top of the page. Our site will help you build your profile. There is no fee to do that. We call those who say $85 before those who say $125.

When we look on 123notary we may look by zip code or by city, but lately we are limiting the notaries to those who are NNA or Lexis-Nexis background screened. Those background screenings are the best.

We give instruction sheets. If there is something specific the client wants, we put it on the instructions.

We usually do not hire notaries who have fewer than 2 years of experience (fewer than 500 loans). We absolutely would hire a new notary with experience in a financial area. Any experience with the mortgage industry. Sometime real estate people have good experience. We close loans all over the country. We have a quiz or test that we give first if a notary wants to sign up– about 10 questions. You have to listen to something before– various questions about situations: they look at a video (2-3 minutes) and then answer questions. They have to get all the questions right. ”

.

You might also like:

Interview with Timios Title
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6718

Interview with a Title Company
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3724

.

Share
>