By Roger Rill, OSN Executive Director

OSN to present Notary Seminar on April 7!

OSN Executive Director Roger Rill will present "Beyond the Stamp: Your Role and Responsibilities as an Ohio Notary Public" on April 7. This seminar is sponsored by the Ohio Bankers League, and will be held at their Easton Traning Center in Columbus. This seminar is open to any Ohio notary public, and will delve into many of the day-to-day situations that notaries encounter, but due to a lack of training, are often ill-equipped to handle. While a great refresher on the basics, you'll likely also come away amazed at just what you didn't know about being a notary. Click on the starburst featured on the OSN homepage for complete details and registration information.

OSN can provide the notary training you never received, and will come to your office or other location. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (614) 336-7878.

Court ruling is wake-up call for notaries!

An Illinois Appellate Court ruling (Vancura v. Katris) held that employers are reponsible for ensuring proper training for any notaries on their staff, and they can be held liable in the event of notary errors. The individual notary can also have exposure. This underscores the importance of having Errors & Omissions insurance to protect you while performing notarial acts. Your company may also consider blanket E&O coverage for all the notaries in the office. Training for notaries is essential, and in Ohio it is sorely lacking. OSN is presenting a notary seminar on April 7; see above story for more information.

Warning to Ohio Notaries!!

There have been efforts made to utilize Ohio notaries in a loan-modification scam, wherein the notary is asked to visit a customers home, then collect application forms and postdated checks to send back to the company. These tactics differ from legitimate loan modifications in that large checks are being collected up front, and there are no notarizations involved; the notary is utilized as a courier to seemingly lend legitimacy. A primary company doing these calls is 21st Century Legal Services, also known as East Coast Management, and as FidelityNational Legal Services (not to be confused with the genuine Fidelity National). The Ohio Attorney General has filed suit against 21st Century for their deceptive and illegal practices, so if you are called, just say NO! Again, legitimate loan modifications do not involve picking up applications or postdated large upfront checks, and there is almost always a notarization necessary.

Another Caution!

Some Ohio notaries have been contacted requesting their assistance in executing "notary protests". While there is a definition of this in the Ohio statutes, it is very rarely used. These callers seek to utlize notaries as part of a tax-evasion scenario involving the UCC codes, that requires notaries to exceed the scope and intent of their authority. Again, just say NO!