Instead of writing a typical blog regarding notary terms, I thought it would be of interest to write about a day in the life of a notary. This could be very informative to the general public and potential clients in terms of giving an overview of what a traveling notary experiences throughout their day and the level of responsibility they carry.
Early in the morning, my phone rings with a request to do a notary that same evening at 8:30 in the Simi Valley area. The clients deadline is the next day therefore it needs to be done tonight. The nature of the documents to be notarized pertains to Estate Planning which comprises a Will, Financial Power of Attorney, General Power of Attorney, Trust, and a HIPAA Waiver and Authorization. These are very important documents. The call came to me as a referral from a colleague who was unavailable that evening.
Several hours later I receive a phone call. The client needs a notary as s soon as possible! However, he will not be present for the notary. He needs me to download a form first and then call the client and arrange to meet him in the neighboring county. I patiently wait for his email and have to call him because I have not received it and I know he wants this done ASAP. I call him and he then sends the email. I run home to download the form and because it is a Registration copy-Lien satisfaction, it is secured and I spend twenty minutes before I can download it. I then call the client and arrange for the notary. He is unavailable until 5 or 6 p.m. He requests that I text him later because he will be in the air flying with no reception. I agree to follow up then to complete the notary and call the client back to inform him that I am willing be notarizing later in the afternoon.
Two hours later the phone rings with a request for a notarization for unclaimed property. The California State Controller’ s Office will often issue this form to notify one if they have unclaimed money in the form of a stock, money in a financial institution, uncashed dividends or payroll checks, gift certificates etc. My client informs me that his mom is bed ridden and is concerned that I will be uncomfortable dealing with this type of situation. I inform him that I have experience with the elderly and people who are unable to travel. That is why you call Andrea’s Mobile Notary!
I arrive in the city of Chatsworth promptly. My client was pleased that I was familiar with the unclaimed property form and was comfortable and able to perform notarial services efficiently.
I then text my next client to schedule an appointment to notarize the Registration copy-Lien satisfaction form. I head off to that appointment. The notary appointment is down an ally in a terrible neighborhood. I call the client and he is with a customer and requests that I wait. The client is very polite and appreciative of my services and everything goes smooth. I take the notarize form with me so that I can arrange for the client to pick it up, or be prepared to meet with him to give him the document.
I am able to grab a bite to eat before my next appointment. I email my client to let him know that I have finished the notary and make arrangements for the form to be picked up. I take a much needed break and refuel my body and my car! I leave the San Fernando Valley and head off to the Ventura County area to the city of Simi Valley.
My next clients are so appreciative that I am able to accommodate their work schedule and come so late. The documents are laid out on the dining room table in an orderly and organized fashion. This is a huge plus because Estate Planning documents are very detailed and substantial. As I start the process of notarizing I see that the attorney has supplied the proper California Acknowledgements and has prefilled out the forms. I catch errors on two of the Acknowledgements that the attorney filled out. I was glad that I reviewed them with a careful eye because it would have been very easy to overlook the errors if I didn’t pay careful attention to the documents. The notary included all the typical documents that I had anticipated when dealing with Estate Planning. It has been very helpful to me to familiarize myself with the Power of Attorney, Will, Financial Power of Attorney, General Power of Attorney, Trust, and HIPAA Waiver and Authorization forms. The notary is done in a little over an hour. My day ends at around 9:30. I am happy knowing that I helped people and provided service to them today. I also look forward to many more days of providing mobile notary service and I am proud of owning an operating Andrea’s Mobile Notary Service.