Topic : Notary Education
Proving You Are a Notary—Without Breaking the Law
by Mary Kate Kelley, Writer/Editor, United States Notary Association
Many signing service applications/agreements include instructions to submit
documentation of your authority to act as a notary public in your state. Be cautious in responding to this request. In a recent survey of applications, we found that this request usually was made in one of three ways.
“Affix your signature and notary stamp and/or seal on a […]
The Absence of Feedback from Lender to Signing Agent
by Renee A. Kovacs, Notary Signing Agent, Certified Loan Signing Agent
GoGetNotary says: If this information seems vaguely familiar, you may have seen a similar post by Renee on the popular forum at NotaryRotary.com. We thought she provided some great tips and asked her to expand her post into an article that could be shared here. She was kind enough to oblige. Thanks, Renee, for your […]
No. 1 Source of Identity Theft—Shocking Statistics
by Cheryl Elliott, Notary, Loan Signing Agent, Instructor, Author
Half of all identity thefts are committed by (ex)spouses, relatives and close friends.
In my notary classes, I always tell the students that about half of all identity theft is committed by close friends and relatives, who gain access to the personal records in your home, office, wallet or pocketbook. They not only steal bills and […]
Identity Theft and The Notary Seal: A Personal Experience
by Joan Bergstrom, Certified Loan Signing Agent, Instructor, Author
Notaries in California are required to keep their Notary Seals/Stamps under their own personal “lock and key.” The Notary is responsible for both their Journal and Commission Seal.
This secured “lock and key” requirement is normally thought to be for employees in California whose Journal and Commission Seal are purchased by their employer to be used […]
Anyone Have the Time?
by Daniel C. Jones, Founder, NotaryClasses.com and APN&CSA
Could your journal lack important information? If you are not entering the time of notarization along with the date, your journal is not in compliance and you may be leaving yourself vulnerable to serious repercussions. Many notaries, especially long-time notaries, fail to enter the time of notarization in their journals, either because the notary never […]
Contact - It’s Time to Meet the Borrowers
by Kathy Poston, Owner, The Signing Registry, www.SigningRegistry.com
As a Signing Agent, it is your job to put borrowers at ease and help them through the loan closing process. Your initial contact with them is important and it’s equally important that you remain professional and courteous throughout the signing process.
When contacting the borrower(s) via telephone, it is important to establish your identity.
You […]
If You Aren’t Keeping a Notary Journal, Why Are You Notarizing?
by Peter Van Alstyne, President, Notary Law Institute
If you don’t want to hear some straight, hard-hitting talk about what a notary must do, then don’t read this article. If that happens to be you, it’s ok. But, be smart and resign your notary commission after you finish this article from The Notary . This article is going to say it the way […]
Reasonable Care: Your Best Insurance Against Legal Liability
by Peter Van Alstyne, President, Notary Law Institute
When Sally Aikens tamed wild lions in the African savannas, she was never nervous. She knew her trade craft and understood lions. Her only tool was a whistle. She loved lions and lions loved her. In the Savanna, Sally was famous for her bravery and skills. Among the local populations, Sally was known as “the […]
The Responsible Notary: Identity Verification
by Carol Salter, Notary Public and Office Coordinator, McKee Medical Center
The role of the Notary has most certainly evolved over thousands of years. The latest and perhaps most important is that of identity verifier. It is imperative that the Notary takes particular care when checking identification!
For documents that require jurat notarizations, verifying identity is not required but highly recommended. With a jurat, the Notary is […]
Notarization for an Elder Signer in a Hospital
by Jamie Johns, President, Notary Access Association, LLC
This might seem like a simple topic but it can be quite complicated and a legal problem if not handled properly. Consider a situation from my personal experience:
I received a job order to meet at a hospital to notarize a document signature for a patient, in which I was to meet the daughter of the […]