General durable power of attorney

Looking For Advice
1

I notarize 2 documents today. They were General Durable Power of Attorney, Durable Power of Attorney For Health Care Decisions.

My question is he wanted me to notarize 3 sets of each document original. I told him I could only
do one original copy. Was that the correct answer??
Thank you for any comments.
Sherrie L Leiker

2

NO, you may notarize as many sets as they want. If they tell you they want 3 original sets of documents all signed and notarized sets, so be it. Charge your notary rate x 3.

3 Likes
3

Agree with Carmen. Just be aware that some people will feel that you should not charge for notarizing a ‘copy’. They are wrong as it is, in fact, an ‘original notarization’.

2 Likes
4

Charge your notary fee for each original. I always explain that one notarized doc can be copied as many times as they want, but if you want original signatures and stamps, you will pay the fee for both. that would have equated to $60 for me. Indiana, we charge $10 per signature per person per document.

1 Like
5

I have done loan signings before where the signers at the end will go oh by the way can you notarize something for me? When they ask what I charge sometimes I’ll say do you have a fresh pot of coffee and that’s what I charge. It’s a personal decision. I’m already there, stamping their document costs the ink in my stamp and a line in my book. That’s not so expensive I charge to do one notarization after a signing I got paid $150 to do.

2 Likes
6

I applaud you for being so vulnerable to ask your question on this forum. Now you know the answer that Carmen_Lane provided. Sometimes our mistakes are the best teacher that leads us towards success.

7

Notarizing a single document* for free after completing a scheduled loan signing is the smart thing to do for several reasons:

  • because our hiring co will appreciate notary has gone above and beyond the call of duty for their client and endears us to signers and hiring co (and I absolutely email my hiring company to inform them that I notarized a separate document for their signers after the loan signing and that I did it FREE OF CHARGE. Yes, calling out my good deed is rather like patting myself on the back or seeking praise, but there are reasons I do it which boils down to CYA.)

  • because signers may give their loan or title officer positive feedback about notary out of appreciation, which may translate to receiving more loan signings from that hiring company.

  • because hiring co cannot accuse notary of impropriety – trying to upsell their customer while we are performing work for them if signer mentions it to their loan/title officer, especially if there was an issue. My notifying them via email of the additional notarization plus my notary journal serves as documentary evidence.

  • because signers cannot accuse notary of impropriety - for charging them a fee for the loan signing. It would not be true, of course, but notary would still be in the position of having to defend such an accusation. If signers complain to the lender/title co about absolutely ANYTHING during the loan signing, the lender & title co are obligated to conduct a thorough investigation. I know this as a fact because it happened to me.

    *If I have time and so long as I don’t risk missing UPS/FedEd pickup. If it is not a single document or if it is something more involved like a Will/Trust, POA etc., I ask the signer to call me to schedule it and I will be happy to come back to do it, explaining the reasons why. And for that, I would absolutely charge my regular notary rate. But charging fees is discretionary, so it is a case by case basis.

    • 8

    Whoa! Hope you’re not saying that you did an ‘extra courtesy signing’ for a signer–and they complained to Title about it???

    9

    Oh I never offer to mail or ship anything for a signer I do a notarization for after a loan signing. They are on their own for shipping.

    10

    Oh no no, nothing like that. What happened with me is we had a rude signing agent several years back with our home refi who refused to leave our 2 signed copies of the RTC with us, he insisted he had to return all 3 signed copies. I tried to gently explain and pointed to the bottom of the RTC and he spoke sarcastically and took them anyway. There were a few other issues with the guy but that was the main feedback I provided my loan officer. Next thing I knew, we were contacted by bank and title supervisors to make formal statements. I suggested to them it could a learning opportunity for that notary. Anyway, they all took it very seriously sent formal letters apologizing and everything.

    11

    LOL yes same
 I would just notarize the document they provide and leave it with them.

    12

    There is a company - trying to remember which one - who requested all three RTC be returned. But the form clearly states it’s required by law to return two, so I just pulled blanks from the signers packet and left them two and returned three. It was a lender specific request, I can’t remember who. I keep hearing stories from signers about snotty notaries. Not sure where that’s coming from - but they won’t last long. Yes, it’s a profession, yes people are business owners but the signers are the customers as well as the title companies and the lenders. Being rude to ANYONE in the transaction is foolish. I took 3 orders this month so far from Notaries 24-7. They take 45 days to pay but that means all orders pay in March which I consider just fine so 45 days is nothing when it’s the first week of the month. But if I listened to everything posted her about them I’d never take their orders. But I think they’re just fine. Attitude as they say is everything. Managing expectations is something folks need to do sometimes.

    1 Like
    13

    Yes, absolutely, PeggySue. Some companies are panned pretty harshly in this forum (some rightfully so!) and there are others that I personally have had perfectly friendly, cordial, professional experience with. I think it starts with relating to the person on the other end first and foremost as a human being. We are all human and we all make human mistakes. How we approach and resolve our mistakes says a lot.

    If I am screaming and broadcasting YOU DIDN’T PAY ME! PAY ME RIGHT NOW YOU DIRTY FILTHY CROOK BEFORE I REPORT YOU TO THE TITLE COMPANY! (lol exaggeration but only slightly) Well sure, I might get paid right now. But by making the person on the other end feel like absolute crap, I also just probably did my last signing for them and I also establish a reputation for behaving unprofessionally. Especially if it is something I posted online. OMG internet rage lives forever.

    When I have not yet been paid for a job and it is well past the due date, rather than automatically jump to the conclusion that I have just gotten ripped off, I first try to figure out if there was something on my end that I should have done in order to get paid? Did I forget to mark signing status as CLOSED? Did I forget to send an invoice/W9? Did I send invoice/W9 to the right place? Do they need me to resend it? Did they send payment already? Where did they send it and when? I have had to make calls and send invoice reminders, but (knock on wood) I have never ever been stiffed on a loan signing fee. Most of the time if the error is on their end, it is a human error (and they are genuinely sorry). Someone clicked a button and it was marked as having been paid. Someone thought they sent it, but did not. Have I been paid far later than I would have liked? yes. Flat out stiffed? No

    Yes, snotty notaries and notaries who take unnecessary short cuts do not survive long term in this business. There was a poster in here “Greenhunter” a while back
 notice that he is no longer active LOL