I’ll go ahead and explain my experience… I have an order for this Wednesday, the 8th, at 10 a.m. I accepted the order at 6 p.m. yesterday; the documents were uploaded at 8:45 p.m. After that, I had seven missed calls on my home phone asking for my signature—calls I noticed because I woke up to the phone vibrating… Then I received two emails asking me to please call them back. I’m a bit confused and would like to clarify whether, as an LSA, I’m required to be available outside of business hours to respond. Yes, the situation could have been resolved the next day. I’d appreciate your opinions…

Hi, I'm Mariangel, a scheduler at TCSS. 👋 We had a seller package that was almost finished, and the notary had already completed the signing. At the very last minute, the title company realized they had missed two documents (5 pages) and needed them signed ASAP. Thankfully, the notary had a mobile printer in their vehicle, so they were able to print, sign, and resolve the order on the spot! It saved the day and avoided a trip back. I’m curious to see how you all work: Do you keep a mobile printer in your car for these types of situations, or do you prefer to print everything at your office/home before heading out? How often does having a mobile printer actually save a closing for you?

One of the corrections we see fairly often is a notary stamp on the Note. The borrower does sign the Note, but a signature doesn't automatically mean the document needs to be notarized. Before placing your stamp, always ask yourself: "Is there a notarial certificate on this page?" That one question can help prevent an unnecessary correction. 💬 Have you ever had to stop yourself from stamping a document that looked like it needed notarization?

06/25/2026, Seller appointment, 2:00 PM. Did not follow instructions. Missed the 2nd witness on the deed. Slow to upload the scanbacks. No response to messages. No answer to calls. Did not drop off on time. DNU. DNU means Do Not Use. That notary will not work with us again. Now look at that list one more time, because here is the part most notaries miss. It was not ONE thing. A missing witness on a deed is a serious mistake, yes. But that one is fixable, IF you pick up the phone. Late scanbacks slow us down, but we can manage it, IF you tell us what is happening. Even a delay on drop off has a solution, IF you answer. Do you see the pattern? Every single one of those problems had a way out. And the way out was always the same. COMMUNICATION. What ended this relationship was not the witness. It was the silence. The moment a notary goes dark on us, we lose the one thing that lets us protect the file, protect the client, and protect YOU. We cannot fix what we cannot reach. So I want to be honest with you, because I would rather you hear it from me than learn it the hard way. Reliability is not about being perfect. None of us are. Reliability is about being REACHABLE when something goes sideways. The notaries we call again and again are not the ones who never make a mistake. They are the ones who answer the phone when they do. 🙏🏻 Be honest with yourself for a second. When a signing gets messy, are you the notary who picks up, or the one who goes quiet?

Your notarial certificates should not be pre-filled, signed, or dated before the appointment. The certificate should only be completed after you've properly identified the signer, witnessed the signing (when required), and performed the notarization. Pre-completing certificates can lead to mistakes if the appointment is rescheduled, canceled, or if something changes at the table. A few extra minutes during the signing is always better than having to correct a notarization later.