I am still toying with the idea of a part-time VA...one of the services I am considering is mobile notary. Has anyone had any experince this? There are a few companies in NY that do just that, but nothing combined with VA services.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

Karin

I do mobile notary. I signed up with some free notary directories, like Notary Rotary, and whenever someone has a closing in my area or something they call me and ask me if I'm available. If I am then I do it. I require payment in advance now or cash at time of signing, because I did a job for Pacific Dox and they never paid.

Also, when they send an agreement, read the fine print, some loan companies state that they don't pay unless the loan closes. I won't do those, I did my job and I should be paid accordingly.

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Rebecka Melson ~ Virtual Business Services

So basically it's just for loan signings then? A few in my area seem to be offering all notary services...Thanks your response is very helpful and aswered my other question - how do you accept payment.

No, its not just for loan signings. I have received calls from local people who needed a mobile notary in the evening or on a weekend when other businesses weren't open or because they didn't drive and needed someone who could come to them. I've had people call me because they were coming from out of town and I met them at a restaurant right off of the highway because they didn't know the area. It can vary a lot and you need to have a somewhat flexible schedule to be able to do it.

Loan closings or application signings are a big part of it though, I would say the majority of my calls have been for those. I have done very few of them though, because they usually call at the last minute and closings can run long and I usually can't squeeze in an extra hour or two at the last minute.

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Rebecka Melson ~ Virtual Business Services

I have a friend who is a mobile notary here in PA. I met him while still doing mortgage servicing and looked into it for myself. His only complaint was he did a large amount of closings and were profitable but he had small children and most of his work was late in day or Saturdays. And like Rebecka said closing can be long, especially if there are problems or they are purchases since there is TONS of paperwork. This is just food for thought.

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Lee Drozak
My Office Assistant

Well thankyou. I appreciate your quick response and your honesty. My schedule is not that flexible-I work full-time, so your input is very helpful

You certainly have given me something to think about. I work full-time so this might not be the best way to go. Again my thanks.

Karin

This is good information. Thanks for asking this question.

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Bonnie
Protege Business Solutions, L.L.C.

I would not do it. Why? There is a set rate for it set by law ($10 for certain things, etc) -- and you have to go to them, unless you have a store front -- in which case then you have to be there. Its not like you get to charge what you want to charge.

I used to be a notary for my old boss, and Only my boss. Different story, but....I understand what it takes after having gone to the classes, taken the tests. Not worth it -- unless traffic is being driven to you like at a bank and you are just there collecting.

Of course, you will have to determine the pluses and minuses.

Lesley

Thanks for posting this question Karin. It certainly gives me something to think about. I also work full-time, I wonder if you (not you, yourself, but generally speaking) could specify weekends or Saturdays only? I've read where there are set prices to charge by law, does that apply even if it takes an hour or so? If that's the case, as Rebekah stated at the beginning of the post, some closings take an hour or two. I'm not sure how feasible that would be.

Dana

I have added Mobile Notary to my services so this is something that I do think can be valuable. As Lesley mentioned you can not charge above the state maximum for the notary service, but you are legally allowed to charge for travel costs (and this is not capped). Laws vary by state so you would want to check the laws that are specific to your area.

If you do charge for travel costs apart from the notary service, be sure to keep copies of the receipts you provide that separate the costs so it will be clear you are keeping within the legal boundaries.

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Sharon Rosen
Intelafina

Dana,

I really have to do more research on the issue. I have not been certified for a loan signing agent. I was thinking more for everyday needs...maybe the elderly who can't get out...so much more to think about.

Hello Karin,

I absolutely understand where your coming from. I was wondering the same thing. I posted the statement about the loan signing agent out of curiosity. I'm wondering why anyone would want to do that type of notary service if you can only charge a law mandated amount and it take 1-2 hours.

I was reading the National Notary Website which allows me to search my state information. In my state (Texas) these are the allowable fees according to www.texasnotary.com FAQ's page:

Q How much can I charge?
A Although notary fees are optional, Texas law sets the maximum fees that notaries may charge for their services. Notaries are also required to post their fees for the public, and you should give a written itemized invoice for your notarial services. Here is a list of allowable fees for the most common notarial services.
*Taking acknowledgments or proofs for the first signature $6.00 ; for each additional signature $1.00
*Administering oath or affirmation $6.00
*Swearing a witness for a deposition $6.00
*Taking a deposition of a witness (for each 100 words) $ .50
*Certifying a photocopy $6.00
*Providing an uncertified copy of an entry from a notary’s record book (per page) $ .50
The allowable fees seem quite low to me. Doesn't make sense, but I as you, haven't researched it enough. I'll have to study some more. Maybe I'm missing something.

You have a great idea about the elderly. Yes, there is so much to think about. I'm sure we'll get it worked out.

Good luck to you!
Dana

I am a mobile notary and have found the business to be worth while. I signed up with some of the notary sites to perform loan closings and also listed my information in the notary section of the online yellowpages. I get a lot of calls for general notary work and not all the time to I have to travel to them. If you have to travel, you can charge them a fee based on mileage. I also have agreements with local businesses to serve as their notay for permits and other various documents.

In Louisiana we are civil law notaries and have broad powers.

Hi Karin, I had thought about adding this service as well, but just hadn't gotten around to getting any opinions about it yet. Thanks for posting that question. Hope it works out for you!