It's been over twenty years since I heard the famous Public Service Announcement that aired on American televisions around 10 pm at night, "Do you know where your children are?" It was was an attempt on the part of a New York news station to bring attention to youth violence and hold parents accountable for their kid's activities and whereabouts. Did it make a difference? Perhaps. It definitely made an impact and was frequently quoted.
Which is why I pose a similar question to Notaries Public. "Do you know where your notary stamp or embosser is...right this minute?" Is it in an unlocked desk drawer at work, unattended? Is it in the glove compartment of you unlocked vehicle? Did you leave it somewhere and you purchased a replacement?
People, including Notaries, underestimate the power of the notary stamp/embosser. Once applied to signed documents, the stamp/embosser can change the legal ownership of property, authorize a person to have control over your bank accounts, permit an adult (other than a parent) to take a minor child out of the country. The stamp/embosser is a force to reckon with.
Which is why it's so important for Notaries to secure their equipment each and everyday. An honest and responsible Notary Public will do everything in his or her power to make it difficult for fraudsters to steal the notary's identity and/or notary tools. Notaries: Don't be careless. Don't use poor judgement.
Today I learned about an investigation of a notary public and others in Kansas City, MO. I hope authorities in that state investigate the allegations and get to the bottom of what really happened, and prosecute accordingly. Here's a link to the new story, and an interesting video. I hope the link works. If not, try copying it (KSHB.com)
http://www.kshb.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/investigation-of-apparent-real-estate-fraud-scheme-questions-if-notary-signatures-were-forged
Showing posts with label Legal Assistance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Legal Assistance. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Friday, October 4, 2013
It's Almost Here! National Notary Public Day 2013
On Thursday, November 7th, National Notary Public Day will be recognized across the United States. For a mere twenty-four hours, citizens will be asked to acknowledge and thank the men and women who are commissioned Notaries in their community.
If you've been following my Blog you know that earlier this year I had an idea. Instead of giving lip service to this Day of Recognition, why not give it...give them (the notaries) the attention, the kudos, the appreciation, the 15 Minutes of Fame (or twenty four hours, depending on how you look at it) they deserve? What if Alabama took this day to heart and did something nice?
A few months ago I spoke with a representative from Alabama's Secretary of State office. I was shocked - blown away - to learn that at last count, the state had more than 22,000 notaries with active commissions. Did you hear me? 22,000! That's....incredible! That's a lot of notary! So...what started as an idea gave way to:
Notaries4Alabama (N4A) Birmingham's 1st Notary Public support group. We've been meeting monthly since May 2013 at Homewood Public Library. Just over forty men and women have joined the group. We've invited leaders from the community to attend our meetings and talk about notary topics. I'll Blog later about the training and mentoring that's been going on. If you're an Alabama Notary Public and want to learn more about N4A, you can find us on Meetup.com. You can click here Notaries-for-Alabama Support Group.
That was the icing on the proverbial cake. Remember, the initial idea was to host a Notary Day event on November 7th for the Notaries. Well...we're doing that, too! But instead of just doing something nice for Notaries, the Notaries are doing something nice for the community-at-large. Check this out!
If you've been following my Blog you know that earlier this year I had an idea. Instead of giving lip service to this Day of Recognition, why not give it...give them (the notaries) the attention, the kudos, the appreciation, the 15 Minutes of Fame (or twenty four hours, depending on how you look at it) they deserve? What if Alabama took this day to heart and did something nice?
A few months ago I spoke with a representative from Alabama's Secretary of State office. I was shocked - blown away - to learn that at last count, the state had more than 22,000 notaries with active commissions. Did you hear me? 22,000! That's....incredible! That's a lot of notary! So...what started as an idea gave way to:
Notaries4Alabama (N4A) Birmingham's 1st Notary Public support group. We've been meeting monthly since May 2013 at Homewood Public Library. Just over forty men and women have joined the group. We've invited leaders from the community to attend our meetings and talk about notary topics. I'll Blog later about the training and mentoring that's been going on. If you're an Alabama Notary Public and want to learn more about N4A, you can find us on Meetup.com. You can click here Notaries-for-Alabama Support Group.
That was the icing on the proverbial cake. Remember, the initial idea was to host a Notary Day event on November 7th for the Notaries. Well...we're doing that, too! But instead of just doing something nice for Notaries, the Notaries are doing something nice for the community-at-large. Check this out!
FREE Document Notarizations
In recognition of
National Notary Public Day
National Notary Public Day
Thursday, Nov 7th 10am - 6pm
Birmingham Public Library (Near Courthouse)
2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL
Birmingham Public Library (Near Courthouse)
2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL
Open to the General Public
Bring your un-signed forms, and Government-issue ID.
Bring your un-signed forms, and Government-issue ID.
Expert Notaries will notarize your forms.
NO real estate-related documents, please.
NO real estate-related documents, please.
Walk-Ups OK. No appointment necessary.
Alabama Notaries can register for exciting gifts in our Notary Raffle and learn about Notaries4Alabama, a support group for Central Alabama Notaries.
For more information about this Birmingham, Alabama's #NotaryDay2013, contact Notaries4Alabama:
Telephone: (205) 626-9399
Email: Notaries4Alabama@Gmail.com
Twitter: @NotariesAlabama
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