I am going to give my strong opinion on this.

I have been doing signings full time for 8+ years. I have never been nickled and dime so much by title companies until the last 2 years. First, Maryland decided that we, as notaries, needed to be licensed in MD in order to do closings and had to pay almost $2000 to get my title producers license and my bond along with e&o insurance and now some want to not only do a background check but they want to do a credit check on me.

First of all, in order to become licensed and bonded in Maryland, I had to be a  notary. Notaries cannot be convicted of a crime in order to be commissioned. When I got my Title Producers License, I had to become bonded, and you can't have a criminal background to do that either.

When I do a closing, I am merely watching the borrowers sign their closing package, I go over the hud, note, til and right to cancel but I am not responsible for any of the documents. Now, the state says that I AM responsible and can be sued just like the title company and lender can.
They act like I could have an influence on changing the terms of the loan.

Every time a signing service calls me to do a closing and offers me a beggers $50 fee, I laugh and them and hang up. I am not going to do something that requires continuing education classes and money constantly out of my pocket in order to comply with state requirements.
I think that this new tactic is just to take more money out of my pocket.

JMHO!!!