To be perfectly honest, I don’t encounter this as much of a challenge because in most of my closings, I can just email them the copy from my phone or upload to a portal, instead of driving to my office and printing the if, just to include in the package. I hope this helps.
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Come on Linda, you’ve been doing this long enough to know that it’s really not that big of a deal.
We have their Home Address, Phone Number, Date of Birth, Social Security, Place of Employment Ect. Heck sometime on the Patriot Act the DL information is printed on the document, so being worried about someone, like us taking a phot of your DL shouldn’t be an issue.
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And all those docs go back to title - I don’t keep all that info…do you? No, I won’t take pics with my phone…sorry.
Linda…I’m a fan of most of your post not a foe…
But inside of the loan packet we have more than enough information to cause harm to a person. A DL picture could not save them from identity theft. We have the info, the signing agency has the info, title has the info, the lender has the info. My point is I understand your point of view, I really do but anyone would be hard press trying to pin ID theft on the signing agent after that many people have had access to the PPI.
Again I’m a fan of your post, not a foe…that’s just my two cents.
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I understand completely; no offense taken and I respect your thoughts. This is my own personal feeling on it - to each their own. I, personally, will not take a pic of anyone’s ID with my phone, I won’t allow my own DL to be photographed…that’s just me.
Let me elaborate my reasoning - just suppose you take that pic, leave the signing and (heaven forbid) get into an accident and your phone suddenly leaves your possession somewhere along the way (happened to me 17 months ago - my phone and I were separated when I rolled my car) - you get in an accident or you put it down and someone takes it, your vehicle is broken into, etc etc…I don’t want that info on my phone for anyone else to see. Now, on the other hand, if borrowers give me a copy of their ID, which I put in the return envelope with the docs and seal in front of them, and the same happens, at least the borrowers know their ID was secure when we left.
Just my thoughts. Again, all opinions are respected completely - unless you’re breaking your notary laws… (LOL)
As an addendum - had a thought on this and would love to know…and not pointing fingers at any one specific individual or any one post/poster
In TX it is against notarial law/procedure for the notary to record DL numbers in their journal - so if you can’t keep that kind of info in your journal, does that also mean it’s illegal for you to take a pic of the ID with your phone?
Points to ponder.
Hi Linda,
My thought would be no it’s not illegal for you to take the picture and here’s why I say this. Your journal are handwritten and that information will remain within that journal until it’s destroyed or lost. Thus performing an act which as you’ve indicated is against Texas notarial law/procedure. Taking a photograph with your cell and having the image uploaded into a portal (then deleting the image from your phone) does not require you to also place the drivers license information within your journal. Hence you would not be breaking the law.
That’s my interpretation of the law and the work around for that issue.
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I understand your frustration. I have been a Signing agent for 5 years and every lender has different requirements for collecting ID. I prefer not to take a pic with my phone, so I tell the clients to be sure to provide a copy of ID’s at the time I confirm the appt. Most of the clients either forgot or their excuse is my printer is out of order. Pictures are very hard to delete completely. They can be found in 3 different locations within your phone or google accounts. So I either will inform the client to just email it to me so I can print it from home or just send it directly to their loan officer. NNA recommends never to take a photo of the ID because it is personal info. I would always ask the signing service or title co. if I need to collect ID.
I recently refinanced my home and this time my wife and I were the clients. Our ID’s were collected at time of the application and was not required to provide a copy to the notary at signing. So I do not understand why the institution needs another copy. We as notaries are to verify their identity at signing and should not have to obtain copies or make a pic, but I just do what they require me to do.
Thank you.
Did you apply directly to the lender or through a mortgage broker? If through a mortgage broker, that’s why - (s)he shops your app to various lenders until one gives the best terms that are to your liking. The final lender always will require two forms of ID to open an account (same procedure if you go open a bank account - need two forms of ID)
JMO and JME
We applied directly with our credit union. We already had our original loan thru them, so maybe that is why we did not have to supply copies of ID’s.
I use Adobe scan which saves DL as a PDF into acrobat. That way I can delete it from my phone Adobe acrobat PDF and will not be found in Google or some portal online .it’s free and you can download the App from Play store or App Store.
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I agree with you; it is seldom that applicants have copies!
Nonetheless, I just take a picture of ID, upload,
and erase later- it can be done
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…in TX we are not supposed to log any DL#s in our journal–makes we wonder if we could get in trouble going the extent that our clients are asking (demanding) us to.
By the way, welcome to Notary Cafe fourms:-)
All printers have a memory card. When you get rid of your printer you should format the card or remove it and destroy it.
I ask for text or email ID when I call to set appointment. I always get ID sent to me before closing. I just tell them that Ill spend less time with them. I print ID first. When I get to the closing, I ask for ID and make sure they sent the correct ID. Always works for me.
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Hi
Just to back up what Linda says, all printers have some sort of memory. They are computers, and by default has to have memory in it. How much memory, and how much is been stored is a matter of the business providing the services. But dont think that those computers/printers cant be configured to store everything that is sent to it, or is backed up somewhere else. Not saying that this is the case at FedEx, just something to keep in mind.
That is precisely my procedure. I upload their IDs while I’m doing my QA of the signed package, then I delete their licences right in front of them. I also tell them to delete the text they sent me with the picture.
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A lot ot times the Title company need the ID as well. They are producing Title commitments and insurances, so proper identity is very important.
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I worked the title side in my career as a paralegal - our attorney law firm did it all from contract to close - we relied on Lender and how borrowers held title - never needed a copy of ID - and now all docs are drafted on how borrowers hold title or are going to take title, not what’s on their IDs.
Thanks for your response Linda. My response is only based on my experience.