Ahhh I misread your question. I think it depends on the platform. If you are using one that allows for you to bring your own clients, you are able to delete and there is no charge. Hopes the signers knows what they need notarized before sending over. I say this because as soon as the signing begins, the session will charge the notary kba fees etc… The platform I’m experienced with does not have a cap on the # of pages upload.
I say this because as soon as the signing begins, the session will charge the notary kba fees etc… The platform I’m experienced with does not have a cap on the # of pages upload.
I feel so stupid, but what is a kba ?
Do you use the same platform for the different TC’s?
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KBA stands for knowledge based authentication. The service providing KBA has a database of information about people gathered from public records, and perhaps credit files. So it might ask a question like
In 1995 was your phone number
- (203) 555-1927
- (914) 555-9386
- (860) 555-8762
- none of the above
The signer would have to answer several questions like that and get most of them right; the signer would only have two minutes or so to answer.
KBA probably won’t work for people who are not US citizens and don’t have a social security number. It also probably won’t work for people who are only 18 or 19 years old and haven’t amassed much of a financial history.
I have read that although the states that allow RON allow the notary to identify the signer through personal knowledge, and the KBA step could be skipped, the popular RON platforms are not able to skip the KBA step.
Of course, I should have known that… Thanks for your help.
KBA is also a challenge for people with no credit history. Also I find that the elder population also experienced issues as they sometimes cannot remember where they lived in the 1990 or remember some other outdated information.
Your right! The young folks have no idea how to pass a KBA. I had one fail and it locked them out for 24 hours until they can pass it. Even if I personally know a person I will not bypass the KBA requirements.
My state does not yet allow RON, so I don’t have to even think about KBA as a notary. But for traditional paper notary work, if a person is well know to me, I don’t ask for other identification.
As an example, the last time our town clerk was elected, I administered her oath of office. Since I’ve worked with her for several years, I didn’t ask for ID. The last time I took the oath of office as a notary, she administered it, and didn’t ask for ID.
Of course, it isn’t entirely clear if notaries in my state are even required to establish the identity of a person taking an oath of office.
From what I’ve read, some platforms charge the would-be signer a fee for checking the identity whether the notarization goes through or not. I’m not sure if that’s lawful. But suppose the notary and the signer know each other well, the KBA check fails, and the notary decides not to bypass the KBA check. The signer then disputes the credit card charge with the credit card company, claiming the notary violated the notary laws.
Yes, I see what your saying as the method of payment is required upfront before the signer can enter the session. I has one issue on my end and the platform refunded me immediately. The platform I use will not charge the signer until the signing is completed. Of course anyone can go back and dispute a transaction, which is another reason my sessions are recorded and I have access to it along with the downloaded journal.
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Yep, Nexsys Clear Sign only for me. Most real estate/mortgage transactions are done on Nexsys. Speaking for myself only, I don’t like to sign up with multiple platforms I just need to do well with one and find other national lenders/titles that use Nexsys to add me as their RON notary.
I look at company’s fundamentals before I sign up with them because I intend do this for a long time. I’m not comfortable signing up with just any company that may not be around in the next 10 or 20 years! I definitely don’t sign up with small RON platforms that established to generate income from notaries with their per transaction, monthly, or annual fees whether notaries get business or not using their platforms. Not for me.
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Hey @mannie1950, I think the point is, is that RON is becoming the “new normal” in our business. So if you want to stay busy going forward, get used to the family and pets! The next wave of COVID is already here (all over the news). Wanting traditional signings will eventually put you between a rock and a hard place. We either do RON, or drop out all together eventually, (unfortunately!) The amount of traditional signings have nothing to do with competition. It’s either the high rates/high inflation, or the RON preference!
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When I stated about family and pets it was about my family and pets at home, I cannot personally stand work at home like a lot of people is doing now, I like the traditional signings at borrowers homes because I like to meet people in person, besides a few of colleagues Notaries in my area we talked ourselves about the future of RON, but picture this; Ron is in the beginning phase and here RON signings are in between $40.00 - $75.00 average, in the near future when Notaries get more training the market will be saturated and we do not believe we are going to get a lot of business, do you really think you are going to get paid around $100.00 for 15 minutes a RON signing time takes to be completed? secluded at home? I pass, thats what I said I rather to come back to a regular job with all benefits, 401k, Medical,Dental, so your family will be covered fully, benefits that a regular signing agent cannot provide in case of a medical emergency or worst, probably some Notaries can provide such benefits if they really are doing the five,six figures they boast doing, for me, Signing Agent and Notary work will be a part time from now until the market recovers.
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I am not afraid of COVID, in the last two years if I remember I remember using PPE around 20 times or less, this week until today friday, we, (borrowers) included did not use masks or another protection, do not believe everything in the news!
Smart thinking - and a major consideration for FL RONs as the video and journal MUST be retained for 10 years. Imagine using a company because they’re cheaper but then they’re no longer around for the length of time you need them…yeesh
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In any state, there is a risk that the platform storing the videos and electronic journals could disappear, or be down for long periods of time due to hacking. So I only see two solutions.
- Store them yourself. This means you will have to have at least two versions, and test the older version every two years or so to make sure they still work. From time to time you may have to convert them to a new format because the old format is becoming obsolete, for example, converting from MPEG4 to MPEG53 in the year 2031. (Of course MPEG53 doesn’t exist yet.)
- Store with your secretary of state, or with a vendor approved by the secretary of state as a permanent repository.
Florida notaries are required to keep one or more sequential electronic journals. I don’t think this means the notary storing it themselves - I think the provider must do that, which is why an applicant has to give the SoS the name of their RON provider before the commission is issued. The provider also is required to store the video, and both the video and the journal must be retained for 10 years.
F.S. 117.245
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@LindaH-FL Thank You.
May I add that it’s critical to keep in mind that the RON storage retention period may vary by platform . . . ; i.e., platform default RON storage retention interval is 7 years & the State RON storage retention interval is 10 years.
=> Always better to read the Fine Print in any scenario to formulate the best solution.
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The retention period is another reason why I’ve opted not to do RON - I don’t want to burden my family with that…and I’m wondering
" platform default RON storage retention interval is 7 years"
Do they destroy them after the 7 years? My guess is if they’re approved by the particular state, they’ve agreed to follow the state’s RON guidelines.
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@LindaH-FL Excellent query . . . reconciling the delta between these two “positions” will be an action that should be performed by each individual Professional Signing Agent; that is, if this situation presents itself for RON within their State.
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