I had something happen today that really made me stop and think about whether we, as notaries, are being fairly compensated by signing services for the professional services we provide to their clients.
Earlier today, I received a call from a woman who needed a Power of Attorney notarized at the hospital. When I explained my fee, she told me she thought it was very reasonable. She then proceeded to tell me that the signing service she had contacted had quoted her $1,700. When she questioned the quote, they lowered it to $750.
She ultimately found me on Notary Café and contacted me directly.
I had another experience with a different client who needed a Power of Attorney notarized and had hired a signing service. She disclosed to me that she had repeatedly asked the signing service for a receipt because she had paid them $250 for the notarization, yet she never received one. I did not ask her what she had paid—she volunteered that information on her own.
Knowing what the client paid and knowing what I was compensated for by the signing service really made me stop and think. It highlighted the growing gap between what some signing services charge consumers and what they compensate notaries for the professional services we provide.
This isn’t about criticizing signing services or suggesting they shouldn’t earn a profit. They provide an important service by marketing their business, developing relationships with title companies and lenders, coordinating appointments, and handling the administrative side of the transaction. They absolutely deserve to be compensated fairly for the work they perform, just as we as notaries rightfully deserve to be compensated fairly for the professional services we provide.
What I am questioning is whether the growing gap between what some consumers are being charged and what notaries are being compensated by signing services for the professional services we provide has become too large. At what point does that gap become unfair to both the consumer paying for the service and the notary performing the work?
I’d genuinely be interested in hearing perspectives from both notaries and signing service representatives.
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I charge a service what I believe to be a fair and equitable fee for my services.
What they charge for their services I don’t worry about. Because I don’t track what they are paying for to run their business. It’s not always we’re getting underpaid compared to them. I also don’t really look at what the fees are on the closing disclosure because closing fees are not necessary notary fees. I don’t focus on this aspect of the business. That’s just me.
Sherry is talking about the fees signing services are charging clients for notarization of a Power of Attorney - not real estate closings. And in all honesty, I think it’s pathetic that a company can tell a client $1,700 or $750..or even $250…for GNW. Especially only one document which, yes, can take some time to get through but still…there should be penalties against these companies that can pull this on unsuspecting consumers…I believe price gouging and usury come to mind.
There should be some regulatory agency to report these actions to…it’s just not fair to people
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How do we know what those fees are paying for. Lawyers charge weird amounts for their time. A fee like that? Some lawyer got paid.
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Then there has to be an accounting as to the why of it…
And a lawyer is not necessarily involved - certified document preparers in many states can draw these documents…no lawyer
I hope the lady in question in the original post questioned the signing service about their fee.
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I just think folks spend time worrying about issues that aren’t their issues. Setting what other companies charge for services isn’t my concern. Consumers have responsibilities for how they spend their money. I simply don’t agree it’s a notary’s job to do that for them. People would have less stress if they stopped trying to control what they can’t control. That’s just how I feel about it.
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LindaH-FL thank you for your valuable insight. In Florida, consumers who suspect predatory or excessive billing practices can report potential price gouging to the Office of the Attorney General or the Secretary of State’s Notary Section. That said, it is important to recognize that the marketplace often dictates costs based on the consumer’s perceived value of the professional they have selected. Furthermore, attorney-led notarization services operate under fundamentally different billing structures designed to account for specialized legal expertise, extensive education, ongoing licensing, and the significant overhead of maintaining a law practice. While being a Notary Public or Loan Signing Agent does not require a law degree, those who have invested significant time and resources into their professional education and experience are certainly entitled to price their services accordingly. Florida regulates what we can charge per notarial act, but the state also allows us the leeway to price other levels of service within reason. Ultimately, the marketplace and competition drive pricing, as consumers always have the ability to shop around for the best value/price.
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<<<At what point does that gap become unfair to both the consumer paying for the service and the notary performing the work?>>>
The gap exists largely because some notaries allow it. A notary should charge what covers their expenses and yields a profit — no signing service assignment is worth taking if it doesn’t meet that floor. When notaries undercut themselves to stay busy, they hand signing services their pricing power on both ends.
The consumer bears responsibility too. Paying a premium without vetting where the money goes or whether a direct hire is an option is a due diligence gap. Buyer beware — and notary beware equally. Know your numbers, set your fee, and hold it. Notaries who price correctly - performing as a business, not an employee - and build direct relationships will outlast the race to the bottom.
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We did not get into detail about the conversation she had with this agency as her father is actively dying. But she did give me the phone number she called, and I do plan on calling them to see how they justify the price to notarize one piece of paper at $1,700.
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