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THE NOTARY REPORT
An Official Publication of Top Notch Notary Services
July 2006
By: Cheneé A. Saunders, President/CNSA chenee@yourtopnotchnotary.com
A Word from the President
Notary Public: A Respectable Profession
There is a common desire among many professions to define and distinguish its characteristics from others. The Notary profession, an important position of public trust, is definitely notable due to the high standards of integrity, honesty, and trust that most Notaries practice.
The profession of being a Notary Public has been looked at, by many who do not understand the notary role, as unpopular, dull, slow and obstructive. However, times are changing and Notaries are no longer the punch line of the joke. They are Certified Public Officials by the state in which they live. The Notary Public who is serious about their line of work understands the value of keeping current with important developments in the field of notarization. The “old school” days of signing a Powers of Attorney and charging $10 per signature, although not obsolete, is not the focal point for the modern Notary.
In today’s time a Notary is not just limited to witnessing signatures, or notarizing documents without error. The modern Notary stays updated and educated with the Notary laws and statutes as well as the continuous development in the Notary Public office. More Notaries are becoming Certified Signing Agents, which means that they specialize in loan document signings. One of the latest developments in the Notary field is eNotarization (ENS) which secures the issuance of the Electronic Notary Seal and electronic documents. eNotarization is essential for Notaries to survive and remain competitive in this profession. Many leading companies are becoming paperless to help streamline their operational processes, and with eNotarazation Notaries are not “missing the boat.” Other technological developments are Identity Verification Tools (IVT) which helps Notaries detect fraud.
With all the laws, statutes and latest technological advances in the Notary profession, it is a very exciting time to be or become a Notary Public. Hopefully, the next time you meet a Notary Public and engage in a conversation with them, you will have a new found understanding of their value and role as a Public Official. Remember that Notary Publics demonstrate outstanding characteristics including, but not limited to integrity, honesty, and trust.
As far as the Notary Public profession being less than exciting, I can assure you that there is never a dull moment in a Notaries day!
If you are interested in becoming a Notary Public/Certified Signing Agent, or an Independent Contractor with Top Notch Notary Services please contact us at jobs@yourtopnotchnotary.com.
e-Notarization
By: Jamila M. Kelley, Associate Manager
Most of us are constantly connected to business and personal contacts through savvy technical devices. Whether it is your cell phone that you
can not leave home without or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) that connects you to e-mail 24x7, we all are dependent on savvy devices to get us through the day. Notaries are no exception to this! Current technology available to notaries allows us to have Electronic Notary Seals (ENS).
Electronic Notary Seals (ENS) facilitates the signing of documents buy allowing the notary to notarize documents in a secure environment in seconds. It also decreases the chance of fraud by eliminating additions to documents once they have been notarized. This can prove to be very valuable to your customers and clients by reassuring them that the documents have not been tampered with since you performed the notarization. Some other benefits of the ENS include eliminating signing errors, the increase in compliance and reduction of customers cost on traditional delivery. While some of us may be a little skeptical to move to ENS, they have so far proven to be safe and secure.
Like our cell phones, there are various providers that offer the ENS feature. Each provider will offer additional incentives like viewing, creating and exporting electronic documents, automatic journal entries, and so forth. Like with any business decision, it is important that you research what will be most beneficial to your needs.
This innovative technology is not available in every state. According to the National Notary Association, ENS are available in California, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah. Please check your local Secretary of State for availability of ENS.
Tips for the Notary Signing Agent
By: Qiana M. Riley, CNSA - Contributing Writer
The Notary Signing Agent (NSA) has an essential role as an impartial witness to borrower(s) signing loan documents. A NSA is able to verify and identify borrower(s) while following these important rules:
- Never give advice or opinions on loan terms.
- Remember to give an oath for Jurat's.
- Always remember to place stamp accurately.
- Follow state law on certificate wording.
- Check dates and signatures while signing.
- Never tell Borrower(s) when they can expect to receive their monies.
- Always refer Borrowers to their Loan Officer if they have any questions regarding their loan.
- Check documents to make sure they are in order and not missing.
- Make sure that the Borrower(s) sign the signatures as printed on the documents (i.e.: John K. Smith should sign the document John K. Smith). Note: The signature does not have to be legible as long as it matches the signature on the ID used.
- Remember to attach the appropriate loose certificate (Acknowledgement or Jurat) when needed.
As a NSA it is our obligation to make sure that each transactions is performed efficiently without error so that undue stress is not caused to the borrower(s).
Note:
An Impartial Witness when called to be present at a transaction in order to attest to what takes place is free from undue bias or preconceived opinions.
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