Shannon Ziccardi-"A Quick Note" Mobile Notary

A few years ago, I remember being greatly annoyed with a National Organization for Notaries where I was a member. This organization is supposed to be dedicated to the promotion of excellent notarial practice and the support of it's membership. As a member, I soon found that their true interest seemed to be the almighty dollar.

I am all for capitalism. But what disturbed me was the way in which this "support" organization was taking steps to drive dollars to their bottom line while at the same time causing harm to their paying members. As with many organizations, once you become a member you begin receiving their mail, email, newsletters and advertising. That is sort of expected. What I didn't expect was literature informing the general public what to expect in the way of mobile notary fees. Believe me when I say that their estimates were not even close to reality. There seemed to be no formula for how they had arrived at these numbers and no variation based upon different markets in different states. Wildly differing costs including fuel, tolls, parking, supplies or state specific notary fees make quoting prices a difficult proposition and they really need to be quoted locally.

On top of this blunder of telling clients how much signings should cost, they also began promoting a "certification" program that they said made one notary more qualified over another. The fact is that their certification program was a way to raise more revenue from the members. They told members that the "certification" would get them more work and listed testimonials from various hiring entities. Of course they charged a fee for their "certification course" which was nothing more than a piece of paper received after taking a generic notary exam. They did the same thing with "background checks" which generated yet another income stream.

Notary organizations continue to sell these products and newbie notaries continue to buy them. They believe somehow that these little pieces of paper will somehow improve their business. Meanwhile, they have been taken to the cleaners.

There is no substitute for experience. When looking for a Notary Public/Notary Signing Agent, look for their amount of experience. How many years have they been doing this? How many sets of loan documents have they signed? Are they full or part-time? Do they respond in a professional manner? Do they offer references? Do they ask intelligent questions about your notary needs?

The average "Joe" doesn't know what a notary is or does. He just knows he needs one to complete his legal document(s). With all the misinformation floating about out there, hiring a professional Notary Signing Agent seems like the only wise move.

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Now, after having seen our world through the prism of a downward spiraling economy, and with major businesses having failed or having been reorganized and/or downsized, the challenge to maintain standards and to practice ethical behavior is compounded. While our leaders debate the pros and cons of plans to rebuild and fortify our economy, average Americans react to job losses, higher tax burdens and they begin to emerge from their bunkers where they had gone to hunker down to ride out the storm.

During times of challenge, it seems that others more desperate than ourselves are well poised to prey upon us and pull us toward bending both our own standards and in some cases the law. Certainly, the allure of easy money, the lack of oversight and the temptation of weak human beings facing difficult choices contribute to unethical behavior and standards. It is therefore important to remind yourself each day that such standards must be upheld, adhered to and modeled for others-as well as enforced upon those who might deviate.

Our parents impressed upon us to do right. But, they never minimized their admonitions with phrases like "when it suits you" or "unless you can cheat a little". They believed in things like honor, personal responsibility and consequences. They believed in such things because they had fought hard to create them in what they deeply believed was the greatest country on the face of the planet earth.

In my daily life as a Notary Signing Agent, I have seen how reminding yourself to do right and then going out and doing it has made all the difference. First, you inspire the confidence of others who will trust you and your services. That will lead to loyalty in your customer, then to client satisfaction and in turn, others recommending your products or services. To me, that sounds like intelligent growth. Such growth, along with a positive attitude and that steady positive reinforcement will result in success.

My wish for you is the fortitude and the confidence to do what is right each time you are presented with a dilemma of conscience. Although we are faced with significant challenges, doing what is right and good is our best way forward.

Yes. That is what I'm doing. I'm SITTING ON A SPRING [and ready to bounce in whatever direction I need to across Southern California]. Not less than four escrow/loan/inspection companies have each requested my services for today. I have one 3PM appointment scheduled but these other folks are all in the running to fill up the early part of my day. Since I book such requests on a first-come-first-served basis, they all have a fair shot at it. Mortgage Brokers are all losing their minds waiting for lenders to send docs so that Escrow Officers can package docs and then I can schedule and sign those docs. Why losing their minds? Because end-of-month is upon us and with a holiday Monday approaching, they must close today or tomorrow to fund and record on Friday or risk not earning until next month (imagine!).

Since entering this profession, I've marveled at this process that seems to stay the same. Why the panic? More importantly, why can't docs begin to emerge earlier in the month? Why should it matter when a deal closes? Shouldn't they just be happening all month long? I've often had brokers offer huge sums of money as insurance that their deal will sign on that last day of the month [that it can]...it's just plain crazy!

Every Notary Signing Agent knows about this craziness. It happens every month. Sometimes the phone doesn't ring at all during week one or two of the month. Then the groundswell begins and hits that crazy fever-pitch about 4 business days before the end of the month.

...and me? I'd just rather be busy all the time!

"A Quick Note"

www.aquicknote.net

WOOHOO!! April for "A Quick Note" turned out to be just what the doctor ordered for our Notary/Signing business. We haven't had time to stop and count the total number of signings yet, but deposits prove that April has been our best month in over three years. What's more is that we did other work that we've expanded our business to do in and amongst the many signings we completed. We conducted many individual "mobile notary" type assignments, Occupancy/Photo Inspections and delivered Service of Process and messenger deliveries across Southern California. This trend is continuing with early work (in the month of May) that holds the promise of an excellent Summer.

Clearly, the majority of our business is the Loan Signing that we do for various Escrow offices and Mortgage Brokers. We have also cultivated new relationships via Social Media (Twitter and Facebook) that have yielded fruit in terms of new business and have also expanded our offerings to those needing greater amounts of Errors and Omissions coverage. These "new" relationships hold the promise of an expanded base of business allowing us to swim away from our small pond and into an enormous pool of opportunity.

After an unusually difficult time for all of us in any mortgage-related business, we remain hopeful and upbeat regarding the opportunities now being presented. We are pleased to be back in the field and meeting borrowers face to face to create peace of mind for the "first-time" or uninitiated borrower's we serve. Unlike recent experiences, we have begun to see a more positive and hopeful client at the signing table. Relying upon our experience and familiarity with loan documents and the over 6,000 signings we have conducted, we are looking forward to an excellent summer for business and an improved 2010 as well as a ramp-up to 2011.

Let us know if we might assist you!