notary

[superman]

Does anyone do mobile Notary on the side during the summer months and if you do is it worth it? I have been thinking of getting my notary but I just want to make sure that it is worth the money I have to spend for it.

[Jiggers]

Notary

The problem with being a notary in the State of Texas is that fees are limited. The time that it takes to notarize a statement, get sufficient identifications, log it in, etc. is not worth the tiny fee.

I thought being a notary was going to add to my fees when I was first starting out. However, I soon learned that many clients expect you to notarize for free! And, they only come in for notary work during my busy tax season of Jan - Apr. I don't have time to stop and notarize a document for them.

These long-time clients also get upset when you has for the required identification, "you know me, why should I have to provide that?"

You may want your secretary to handle this as I gave it up for myself about 10 years ago.

[JohnH]

Lots of hassle

I agree with Jiggers on all points. I got my notary appointment many years ago and from the outset I decided to do it as a service for my clients rather than as a source of income. This was partly due to the fact that notary fees in my state (NC) are also very limited.

The requests from regualr accounting clients would be spread throughout the year, but once-a-year tax clients would generally think to ask me to notarize something during tax season when I was already swamped. It was helpful in many situations, but I also found that too often people didn't mind asking me to bend the rules "because you know me and it's OK".

I finally decided it was more trouble than it was worth and I let my appointment lapse a couple of years back. I try to keep tabs on where notaries are located in my area (most banks have them on duty), and used car dealers will either have someone there or know where the local notaries are located. I find that when someone calls to ask me to notarize something, they are just as happy if I can tell them where to get it done as they would have been if I had done it for them. Plus it takes a lot less time to give them directions than it would have taken to do the notarizaton for $3 or so.

[Luis Mopeo]

Agree with above. I had my notary for a few years, but finally just let it lapse. Very much hassle, next to nothing in revenue.

[oceanlovin'ea]

I do it as a service to my clients. I don't expect to make anything from it. It is nice to be able to do something for them occasionally. One lady insisted on giving me something for doing it for her. She is the one person I would gladly do it for free for.

I do have a client that is a signing agent for mortgage companies. It is one step beyond a notary. You have to take a special class. But he made pretty good money for it. I was thinking about doing that in off season. I just haven't found my off season yet.

Linda F

[Luis Mopeo]

Most notaries don't understand the legal responsibilities that go along with verifying signatures. "Sworn to Me This Day" means exactly that. Most notaries just check an ID and stamp and sign the document. If a signature is ever in dispute, the notary can be drug over the coals. Be careful.

[Davc]

The OP was regarding mobile Notary. I believe he's asking about traveling to perform the service. While the actual fee for notary services is also very small in OR, You can set your rates for travel to the location however you wish. We don't do it in our office, but a client makes a pretty fair living performing that service.

[Joe Btfsplk]

Notary

I haven't checked lately, but there used to be yellow page ads for notaries. They must charge far more than the legal fee if they actually make a living notarizing documents.
I once was a notary and soon found that it was not worth the trouble. People sometimes pre-signed documents and got mad when I wouldn't notarize their signature which I had not witnessed.

It is a common practice by some notaries in law firms, for example, to notarize documents signed by people they have never seen. Usually this involves a client of the firm and the signatures are valid, but the notary is still violating the law.

[JohnH]

Picky, picky

I mentioned earlier that I let me notary appointment lapse because it wasn't worth the trouble. Another reason I let it lapse was because, after 15+ years of notarizing hundreds of documents without a single error, I made a mistake on one document and got my hand slapped.

Our Secretary of State noticed the error and sent me a nasty gram, made me fill out a silly questionnnaire about the responsibilities of a notary, and I had to get a statement notarized by someone else that I knew what I was doing. Oh yes, and they made me buy a new copy of the notary handbook. All this under penalty of a $10K fine, 6 months in the slammer, and maybe sending them my firstborn child for sacrifice. (My memory may be a little fuzzy on the details of the penalty, but you get the picture). This all added to my decision to bag the whole thing.

My error? I entered an incorrect expiration date when I notarized someone else's application to become a notary.

[Luis Mopeo]

But their concern is not frivolous. It sounds like there was no damage done in with the bad date, but what if it had been some kind of document relating to the sale of real estate? How about a document relating to change of ownership where the ownership was later disputed? How about a document that proved timing in a court case?

The ease of becoming a notary doesn't balance with the tremendous amount of responsibility and liablity that it brings.

[JohnH]

You are right, of course

Yes, everything you said is true, especially that part about the responsibility/ liability not being in balance with the ease of becoming a notary (or the financial rewards, IMHO).

All which is exactly why I decided to no longer be a notary, forego the 6 months, hold onto my $10K, and keep my firstborn.

[erchess]

You guys make me glad

I am not a notary. The only reason I chose not to become one some years ago is that EAs cannot notarize anything having to do with the IRS for our tax clients. I believe that I could notarize something IRS related for someone who prepared his own forms but where's the fun in that?

[oceanlovin'ea]

Erchess

Can you go clarify that statement about EA's not notarizing IRS documents?

I had not heard about that. I haven't done it but I would like to know the details.

Linda F

[Jiggers]

See Circular 230, §10.26, EA Bible

Can you go clarify that statement about EA's not notarizing IRS documents?

I had not heard about that. I haven't done it but I would like to know the details.

Linda F

Linda, here is the information regarding this:

§ 10.26 Notaries.
A practitioner may not take acknowledgments, administer oaths, certify papers, or perform any official act as a notary public with respect to any matter administered by the Internal Revenue Service and for which he or she is employed as counsel, attorney,
or agent, or in which he or she may be in any way interested.

[oceanlovin'ea]

Thanks

Jiggers.

I'm glad to know that. I wouldn't want to make that mistake.

Linda F