California has made revisions to its disciplinary guidelines for Notary misconduct and employers should take notice.  The new guideline states, “Any person who solicits, coerces, or in any manner influences a notary public to perform an improper notarial act knowing the act is improper, including any act required of a notary public in connection with the notary journal, is guilty of a misdemeanor. (Government Code section 8225(a).)”

Law enforcement are now going after employers who pressure Notary-employees to perform illegal notarial acts.  In a recent case Lorraine Brown the chief executive offices of defunct DocX, LLC please guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in federal court, and agreed the same day to plead guilty to one felony count of forgery, a felony count of perjury and a misdemeanor count of making a false declaration in Missouri.  She faces up to 7 years in prison.

Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer said. Lorraine Brown “was responsible for more than a million fraudulent documents entering the system, directing company employees to forge and falsify documents relied on by property recorders, title insurers and others. Appropriately, she now faces the prospect of prison time,”

The New California Notary guidelines cover several areas of Notary misconduct including, offering unauthorized immigration advice and knowingly notarizing fraudulent real estate documents.

The new guidelines are available here for download.

N3 Notary for information use only, not to be used as legal advice.

E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee’s Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment eligibility.

Why E-Verify?

Why do people come to the United States illegally?  They come here to work.  The public can, and should, choose to reward companies that follow the law and employ a legal workforce.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is working to stop unauthorized employment.  By using E-Verify to determine the employment eligibility of their employees, companies become part of the solution in addressing this problem.

Employment eligibility verification is good business and it’s the law.

Who Uses E-Verify?

More than 409,000 employers, large and small, across the United States use E-Verify to check the employment eligibility of their employees, with about 1,300 new businesses signing up each week.

While participation in E-Verify is voluntary for most businesses, some companies may be required by state law or federal regulation to use E-Verify.  For example, most employers in Arizona and Mississippi are required to use E-Verify. E-Verify is also mandatory for employers with federal contracts or subcontracts that contain the Federal Acquisition Regulation E-Verify clause.

This page provides general information about E-Verify and is meant to provide an overview of the program.  For instructions and policy guidance, visit the For Employers and For Employees sections of the website.

N3 Notary for information use only, not to be used as legal advice.

It is a requirement of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services that the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I9 is used by an employer to verify an employees identify, and to establish that the employee is legal allowed to work in the United States.

The requirement that all employer verify all newly-hired employees present documentation that verified the employees identify and legal authorization to work in the United states is known as The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 employers

It is required that every employee who was hired after November 6, 1986 complete a I-9 Form.

Employees must complete and sign section 1 while it’s the employers responsibility to complete Section 2.  In cases where the employer can not meet directly with the employee, the employer may use an authorized agent, such as a Notary Public to complete Section to on there behalf.

In the event that an employer fails complete and retain the I-9 Form properly, the company can be fined $110 per missing item and up to $1100 per I-9 Form.  ICE has levied over $80 million in finds since 2009.

N3 Notary for information use only, not to be used as legal advice.

People love to share their opinion with others.  Both good and bad.  Some love Coke others love Pepsi.  Talk to enough people, read enough articles or Internet posts and you will find there are different opinions and experience.  From bad to excellent.

So what does this have to do with the No No lists of Mobile Notary Signing Services?  And what is the problem with these lists?

Well lets look at what these lists really are, and how does a signing service end up on these list.

First what is a no no list?

A No No list is a list of Mobile Notary Public Signing services that 1 or more individual has had a bad experience with. A bad experience ranges for fax backs, to slow paying and non-paying companies, to scheduling reps that an individual does not like.  So a signing service ends up on a no no list.

Mobile Notaries that use these lists tend to use them like a credit report of sorts, but is that an effective strategy to build your business around?

Now some mobile notaries will say that “I don’t work for free” or “Notaries need to stick together to put these signing service out of business.”  There are so many negative posts about every signing service that it’s a wonder how some Mobile Notaries manage to stay in business.

Here is a rule of business you must accept.

You will not be paid 100% of the time.

The sooner a Mobile Notary gets out of the emotion of “getting burned” and into the logic of “that just part of the cost of doing business” the more effective they will be.

Lets look at an example of how this works.

At last check there we about 100 companies on these no no list.  If you believe that you should not work with these companies you will loose out on valuable revenue opportunities for your business.

The revenue will go to your completion, who will use it to advertise more then you, use it to become more efficient then you use it to put you out of business.

All because you use the Mobile Notary signing service no no lists as a credit report, while your competition capitalizes on their revenue opportunities.  Because your competition knows what you don’t.  There is more money to be made by working for these companies then there is to loose.

Again some people love Coke, and hate Pepsi.  Will you take the opinion of others on never try Pepsi?  Or will you try for your self and have your own opinion creating your own experiences, risking your own taste buds.

What abut the signing companies that end up on these lists because of fax backs?  Did you know that fax backs are an efficient way for signing service to insure quality and minimize signing errors as well as avoid costly loan funding delays.

Some notaries will say “I don’t make mistakes so I don’t do fax backs”.

Ever hear the saying; to error is human?

So if you don’t make mistakes then you are not human, you must be super human.

And signing companies that require fax backs do not work with super humans only humans.

Again is using these lists a strategic way to build your business?

These lists will tell you to avoid almost every mobile Notary signing service.  Signing services have the bulk of the work out there.

Very few notaries can avoid working with signing services and have their business thrive.

What do you think about mobile notary signing service no no lists?

To become a notary public, an individual must be over 18, fill out a notary commission application, attend classes based on state requirements and pass an exam. Pay for bond through insurance brokers in order to set up a notary business with the help in this free video on job information from a career service specialist. Expert: Stacie Royer Bio: Stacie Royer is an exclusive career services specialist, and she is active in business and career networking throughout the Austin, Texas area. Filmmaker: Todd Green

We’re thrilled to unveil the brand new N3 website!

Our new site was designed to improve our support for N3 customers and all of their mobile notary scheduling needs. Learn more about our mobile notaries and customizable solutions for staffing agencies, litigation support or legal and financial services in an easy to use format that offers the information you need to quickly and easily.

We’re thrilled to unveil the brand new N3 website!

Our new site was designed to improve our support for N3 customers and all of their mobile notary scheduling needs. Learn more about our mobile notaries and customizable solutions for staffing agencies, litigation support or legal and financial services in an easy to use format that offers the information you need to quickly and easily.

The new site was developed using the Drupal CMS platform for easy updating with all the latest news and information N3 customers and other notary professionals will find helpful, including helpful tips and industry updates.

And the new site doesn’t stop delivering there! We have also improved the back end of the site to make the mobile notary process easier, creating an attractive and easy to navigate menu with improved options for users as they complete their transactions.

Don’t just take our word for it! Check out the new site and find more helpful information about I9 certification, mobile notary scheduling services and our customizable management service option designed to support your business at any level you or your business require.

In 1974 Notary Public Day was created to acknowledge Notaries for their service to the public and their continuing contributions to national and international commerce. November 7^th was chosen as Notary Public Day because it was on November 7^th 1639 that the first Notary Public was appointed in America.

There are about 5 million notaries that server as trusted public officials in theUnited States. Their services, skill and attention to detail have become an essential function of out everyday lives

Today’s notaries are indispensable to the free flow of commerce and to the many personal transactions that transpire in daily life. Just consider the broad range of sensitive activities that require a notary’s services:

•Purchasing a Home or Vehicle

•Adopting a child

•Granting Power of attorney

•Business deals

•Administering oath

Times have changed since 1639. Technology has changed. The indispensable roll of the notary as an impartial witness, the significance of a Notarial seal on a document and the confirmation of the document singers identity continues to be an important factor in preventing fraud.

In last month news letter we sent you an article titled “Appellate Court Again Holds Notary And Employer To Higher Standards”.

In response to these recent court decisions, and in our ongoing effort to improve the integrity of our service for our customers N3 Notary has implemented new standards for all of our notaries that go beyond what the state requires for record keeping of Notarial acts.

N3 Notary now requires that all of our Notaries:

•Keep a record/Journal of all Notarial Acts

•Allow N3 to randomly inspect Notarial journals for compliance

•Adhere to the 10 Guiding Principles set forth by the National Notary Association

More and more we are seeing requests for mobile notary public service that are going beyond the normal roll a notary plays.  From loan closing services, Power of Attorney signings, trust documents signings, medical record retrieval and serving of subpoenas.  The notaries roll in the United States just keeps expanding.

To meet this demand a notary public needs to expand there service offering, get creative with there pricing and thing outside of the typical notary box. A not so easy task for some notaries.

As a nation wide provider of services we get asked to do some very odd things and have helped some very odd people.  The two most importation thing we ask of our notaries is to follow though on instructions provided and maintain good communication.

What was the strangest thing you have been asked to do as a notary?

Starting your own mobile notary service can be a very stressful experience.When you’re a newbie notary public there are so many questions, so few answers, and very little help from your mobile notary peers.

Q & A with a Mobile Notary is a monthly article where we answer questions as asked by you, the mobile notary. This month’s questions are brought to you by Felise Robinson, a newly commissioned Notary Public and Marc Greco, Founder of N3 – Mobile Notary Service.

The Newbie Mobile Notary Office.

Q: I’m setting up a home office for my mobile notary public business and I’m looking for guidance on what I will need. Can you tell me what equipment I should have in my new notary public office?

A: When setting up your mobile notary office you will need the following equipment:

•Computer (either a laptop or desktop)

•2 line phone system with Voice Mail

•Dual tray laser printer

•Fax machine, or if you’re using an internet fax service, a scanner

•Cell Phone

•File cabinet

Q: I understand that as a notary public signing agent, I will receive large documents, mostly over the Internet by email or IP fax. I’ve never used IP faxing; will I still need a fax machine?

A: If you’re going to be using an internet fax service as part of your mobile notary business you will not need an additional fax machine, however you will need a scanner so that you can scan the documents you want to fax.

Q: How about for returning signed documentation? Is it better to send by mail or fax? For faxing, is it more efficient and economical to fax directly or by IP fax?

A: For returning documents most companies will require that you return the signed documents via an overnight shipping service such as FedEx or UPS.

In addition to shipping the documents some companies like N3 will require that you fax documents to them for quality review purposes. In these cases check with the company and see if you can scan and email them directly rather then faxing as this is the most economical way to go.

Q: I have an all-in-one inkjet printer. Is this good enough or do I need a laser printer?

A: You can get by as a notary public signing agent with an inkjet printer, but I strongly recommend investing in a laser printer. Laser printers print faster, they last longer, and have a lower cost per printed page then an inkjet printer.

Q: Am I better off buying an all-in-one/MFC laser printer, fax, copier, and scanner than buying the components separately?

A: You are much better off investing in a Multi function laser component rather then purchasing the components separately, there are smaller units that combine all the equipment you will need and can be a valuable asset to you as a mobile notary.

Q: Are all-in-ones reliable enough?

A: Absolutely.

Q: What should notary public signing agents look for in an all-in-one?

A: Look for brand name MFC’s with a solid reputation like Brother or Xerox, then determine the cost per printed page for the machine, and finally check with your local office supply store and make sure they regularly carry the ink/toner for the machine you are considering purchasing.

Q: Do I need a personal one or one for a workgroup?

A: Get one for a workgroup as it’s a printer you can grow into and will save you the expense of having to buy an additional printer as your business grows.

Q: What is the minimum resolution that the scanner and printer need to have?

A: 600dpi will be fine.

Q: I plan to work as a notary public signing agent part-time, about 15 hours per week, and I’m considering a MFC that is supposed to print 7000 pages per toner cartridge. Is this sufficient or is it overkill?

A: It’s not over kill. An MFC laser is the right decision to make and 7000 per toner cartridge is perfectly respectable.

Q: The MFC printer I’m looking at has a 250-sheet paper tray, but no second tray. Is this enough?

A: I recommend getting yourself a dual tray MFC or at least one that you can add an additional tray to and here is why: when you’re printing email loan documents, some companies will require that you print out the documents on both letter and legal size paper. If you don’t have a dual tray for the job you will need to manually change the paper size and this can be a frustration experience when you realize that page 1 will need to be printed on letter size paper while pages 2 – 5 will need to be printed on Legal size paper only to realize that page 6 -10 will need to be printed on letter size paper. On and on this process can go.

Q: I will need to have the printer set up on my home network. In your experience do all-in-ones work well over networks?

A: In most cases yes, they will work well on a home network set up. If you have trouble setting up the printer on your network, call the tech support line for the printer manufacturer and they should be able to walk you though the steps to get everything up and running for you.

Q: How much should I expect to pay for a MFC?

A: Between $300 and $700.

Q: I have Yahoo mail and Gmail and I’ve noticed that I don’t receive some of the email with large attachments. This can’t happen with business documents. How do I avoid this problem? Do I need a different email service and can you make any recommendations?

A: This is a problem many mobile notaries face all the time. I would stay away from using Yahoo mail although Gmail is a great way to go. What I recommend for you in the future is getting a web hosting account set up with Earthlink to avoid the problem all together.

Q: Given that I mostly plan to use IP faxing, do I really need to have a second phone line dedicated to my notary public business?

A: Only if you want to give the phone company more of your money. So no, it’s not necessary…

Q: As a notary public signing agent, is it acceptable to ask companies to send me documentation by email instead of fax?

A: No it’s not. Your job as a mobile notary service provider is to be able to work with the companies that contract with you. If the company needs to send documents to you via fax, you better be able to accept them. Nothing will cause you to lose business quicker than not being able to receive documents in the format they are sent to you in.

Q: What other equipment do I need?

A: A car, tons of pens, extra ink for your notary stamp, backup cell phone battery, maps, GPS, a scheduling system, backup toner, and some sort of bag or brief case to carry your stamp and documents in.

Q: Is there anything else I should know?

A: Lots. Just take it a step at a time. At first, it may seem like all you’re doing is spinning your wheels and going nowhere slowly. But building a client base as a mobile notary takes time and resilience. Just keep at it. In time it will start to come together for you.

That concludes this month’s Q & A with a mobile notary.