2003 Notarial Protest Manual

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1A FOREWORD
Living is a continual educational process. If you truly want to be free and free from debt, it
is your responsibility – and yours alone – to educate yourself. No one can do it for you. This
compilation is simply a guide. It is not set in concrete. It changes constantly as the realm of
experience grows.
Remember that not too long ago it was a crime to teach American slaves to read and write,
that the prevalent philosophy was to keep women barefoot and pregnant? Unfortunately, too
many of us have been ignorant of how our world really works and we have not done much
reading and writing, or much to change it. We have let others make our decisions for so long
that we have forgotten how to make informed choices.
You’ve made a decision that you want to eliminate your debts. Well, it will require diligence
on your part to educate yourself, to learn how to use the tools widely and openly available, to
learn what is really law and how to conduct commerce - topics our schools have purposely
omitted from the curriculum. Don’t expect lawyers, bankers, accountants or teachers of this
philosophy to bail you out. It is your job to step out of the box.
You’ll find this process is a revisiting of English 101. Everyday usage of language is not
commercial reality. Learn the real meaning of the words you speak. If you use words correctly,
there will be no misunderstanding about their applicability.
In order to advance on any path, you must decide if the process to “get there” fits your
philosophy and ability, decide if you really want to pursue the process, learn all that you can
from many sources, weigh the validity of all information, decide if it will accomplish what you
desire, personally verify the accuracy of the materials, do the research, learn the code sections
and your State statutes, know who you are so you can adapt the correspondence to reflect your
status*, and put your safety nets in place before you jump off the cliff. No one can do it for you.
You can learn from others’ experience, but each of our experiences utilizing this information
is different and the response we obtain from creditors will vary. You must have the knowledge
internalized so you know how to respond to any situation, to be assured that what you are doing
is right. If fear is still part of your psyche, then you have not educated yourself sufficiently and
gained the confidence to move forward. Stop and step back if that is the case.
If you truly want to get rid of your debt instruments, you must protect yourself and your
family first. If you own nothing, you have nothing to lose and no exposure. If an adverse credit
report will affect how you earn a living, it would be wise to consider the ramifications of what is
presented herein and how it may affect you.
A word of advice: Be sure to initiate a dialogue with the Credit Reporting Agencies (CRA
series) before, or at least concurrently, with the Credit Card (CC) series. If you can afford to
structure your belongings such that you own nothing, you will have little to risk. If you have a
credit card associated with your bank account, it would be wise to lower that balance as much as
possible before eliminating all other credit card debt. The goal here should be to no longer live
______________
* Many of the letters have an option to be from the Secured Party. If you are not a Secured Party for
your strawman, be sure to change your return address, the content and the signature to fit who you are.
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on credit.  Remember that old adage:  neither a lender or a borrower be?  Strive for it.  Pay for 
your daily expenses with FRNs and stop using those credit cards.  Checks and credit cards leave 
a trail for others to know what you spent, when and where.  FRNs provide privacy. 
 
1B TIPS 
 On your Desktop, set up a master folder - for the Honor-Dishonor Process with subfolders 
for tools and resource materials you gather, and an additional folder for your personal documents 
you have customized and scanned or faxed to yourself to be attachments to documents you mail.  
Later, after you have the documents just the way you want them, you can copy and paste them 
into folders for each credit card. 
Next time you’re at the Post Office, pick up lots of Priority Mail Envelopes, PS Form 3811 
Green Return Receipt Postcards, and PS Form 3800 Certified Mail Receipts.  A few extra is 
always a good idea.  Many clerks will not want to let you have Registered Mail Labels.   
When sending your mailings out with a PS Form 3811, to avoid the possibility that some 
“agent” will remove the Post Office’s pre-printed numerical service label on the “2 Article 
Number” space, write your service number in the appropriate space and then place the service 
label number over it.  Then, place a strip of transparent tape over the service label number. 
Abbreviations are used throughout the writings: 
CC=Credit Card 
CRA=Credit Reporting Agency 
DC=Debt Collector 
CA=Conditional Acceptance 
A=Affidavit 
PoS=Proof of Service 
“Doe” is to be replaced with your name 
ND=Notice of Dishonor 
NP=2nd Notice of Dishonor 
CD=Certificate of Dishonor 
Green color print in sample letters is to bring your attention to some word or phrase 
which you must correct to fit your circumstances.  Highlighting is to make you decide if the 
wording applies.  If it does not, delete the words and the highlighting. 
Sample letters are set up to accommodate joint obligors.  If you are the only obligor, be sure 
to change all grammar and pronouns to reflect “me” and “I” instead of “we”.  Delete the word 
“collectively”, in the return address reference as you are not more than one.   
Remember that the law applies to the strawman, the fiction created from your birth certificate 
and social security number, and are not you – the living, breathing soul.  Only the principles of 
the law apply to the you, living soul.  You must determine who you are in order to accurately 
reflect your return address on the templates.  They are set up to reflect a Secured Party.  If you do 
not know what that means, you are likely not a Secured Party.  To become a Secured Party, you 
would have already filed UCC-1’s in the appropriate Secretary of State’s Offices.  If you are not 
a Secured Party, change the return address information and signature lines of each template to 
reflect the current status – your name and mailing address in standard format, but in all capital 
letters:  e.g.: 
JOHN DOE 
123 MAIN STREET 
ANYTOWN, USA 00000 
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IC WHO YOU ARE & PRIVACY
One of the first things you must determine in embarking on this process is who you are and
who is writing the notices/letters: the strawman, living soul or secured party – and you have to
be consistent throughout the process. If you have already recorded your copyright on the
strawman and UCC-1 on your strawman, you may choose to have your documents reflect you
are the secured party or you may wish to respond only as the true name (living soul) or even as
the strawman. If you have not established your position as a secured party, be sure to delete all
references to the secured party. The living soul has a name in Upper and Lower case letters.
The strawman is in all UPPER CASE LETTERS. The living soul and secured party are always
“right”, which means they sign on the right side of the page. The strawman is a debtor and is
reflected on the left side of the page.
You must to customize the templates to match who is writing them.
The strawman is in the box and doesn’t need registered mail. Registered mail comes from in
the box to in the box. A living soul uses Registered Mail to traverse the border into the box.
Due to the many multi-letter agencies trying to discourage and even intimidate living souls from
regaining their rights, it is advisable that you send your first document (the CA/A, presentment,
BoE) by private courier with signature guarantee rather than through the USPS. We have found
that generally UPS and Airborne are less expensive than Federal Express.
Regardless of who you are, learn how to protect your privacy. Think about how completely
different your life would be if they couldn’t find you or take away the strawman’s “stuff”, if they
couldn’t call and upset your family because they had no way to reach you directly. You need not
ever be directly accessible to anyone unless you have intentionally given them your contact
information. We believe in living your life Hidden In Plain Sight (HIPS). Ideally, neither you
nor the strawman will ever own anything or have any income.
1. Learn the difference between “open” e-mail and “private” e-mail. Look at the form that
appears on your computer screen when you want to send an email. First it has where you
are sending from (your email address). Then it usually will have additional lines entitled
“CC, BCC” and “Subject” or “RE”. If you are going to e-mail more than one person,
always send e-mail to multiple people in the "Bcc" (blind carbon copy) line. Then you
will not be the source of having passed out others' e-mail addresses to people they may
not know, especially if you have not been given permission to share it. Only use the
“TO” (open) address line when you definitely want to share everyone’s e-mail addresses
and have permission to do so.
2. Utilize an answering machine, voice mail, or a k7.net, J2.com or efax.com (the faxes and
VM will be forwarded to your email) as your primary phone number which you put on
applications, accounts and forms, and to give to people you don’t know, people you may
not wish to speak with, businesses and service providers. Audit all calls. Utilize the
“delete” button. You can install a separate phone number, which you only give to
friends, family and associates to contact you; it is well worth the installation price.
You can return phone calls to the people you wish to speak with. This means forming a
new habit of giving VM number to: banks, creditors, government agencies, DMV,
insurance companies, utility companies, hospitals, doctors, grocery stores, businesses,
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magazines, newspapers, schools, et cetera.  You will speak to them by returning phone 
calls when it is convenient to you. 
3. What if you were starting a new website and did not want everyone in the world to know 
your physical address?  Following the philosophy of #2 above, the same principle applies 
to your physical location.  We suggest you establish a Private Mail Box (PMB) for all 
your mail and not have anything delivered to the street address you “inhabit”.  If they 
don’t know the physical address, they won’t show up and knock at your door unless you 
give them the address!  Yes, picking up mail at a PMB is a minor inconvenience, but it is 
a small price to pay to protect your privacy.  All PMBs will sign for and accept package 
delivery for you and the entities you manage. 
4. Notify everyone as appropriate - businesses, vendors, friends, and family - of your 
personal/business change of address.  Update all your accounts and identifiers - driver’s 
license, voter registration, return address labels, checks and bank records, utilities, charge 
cards, magazine subscriptions, grocery store discount cards – of the appropriate PMB for 
your private business and for church business.  Rome was not created in a day! 
5. Change your return address labels to reflect “without prejudice” below your name and 
request that people send mail to you in the same manner.  “Without prejudice” means that 
you do not necessarily agree to any undisclosed terms not on the face of the document 
and your right to come back and retract any such undisclosed rules is not prejudiced…it 
is without prejudice.  It is likely that you are unfamiliar with the many postal regulations 
and rules, so how can you agree to them?  Below is a sample address format: 
True Name 
Without prejudice 
c/o mailing address 
City, [93551] 
State spelled out, non-domestic 
 
“Without Prejudice” is a jurisdictional issue (see the article).  The Constitution guarantees the 
Post Office and Postal roads, not home delivery.  When you get home delivery, you contract with 
the state (U.S.) for a benefit.  The benefits bind you to the national debt as a U.S. citizen and 
your use of the two-letter state abbreviations as well as the zip code are an adhesion contract to 
which you likely do not know the terms or even all the USPS regulations!  Mail from Post Office 
to Post Office does not bind you.  Post Office boxes are the same as home delivery.  The only 
thing protected is General Delivery. 
 
1D PREF ACE 
The world runs on the energy of commerce.  Our country runs on commerce.  Our courts run 
on the energy of commerce. You may not realize it, but your daily life is within the realm of the 
energy of commerce.  As a result, it is imperative that you interact in the commercial world 
effectively and protect yourself from those who would take what is yours from you.  This can 
only be accomplished through education.  With education you will gain an understanding of the 
Honor-Dishonor process which runs the commercial world.  Without this understanding and 
effective utilization of the process, you are doomed to constantly lose.  The education will take 
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some time, but it will open your eyes to the commercial world you inhabit and enable you take
the reins and direct your life in the manner you choose.
In every transaction – whether purchasing a car, using a credit card, receiving a bill for
services you did not receive, paying taxes – you must always comport yourself honorably.
Dishonor translates to loss of commercial energy, to loss in the transaction. Make no mistake,
when you ignore a situation, when you are silent because you do not know what to do, you have
lost your energy and therefore your commercial ability, you are in dishonor and subject to the
whims of others who will take advantage of your silence and ignorance and take away your
assets, place liens against you and your property – many times, without you even knowing that it
has occurred.
Debtors always lose. Creditors always win. You always want to be a creditor. Utilizing the
Honor-Dishonor process of Notarial Protest will change your status from a Debtor to a Creditor.
First, you need an understanding of money. The Constitution defines money. House Joint
Resolution 192 changed the manner in which Americans “think” of money and moved all of us
into the Debtor position. Read both documents thoroughly.
In contract law, the general right of refusal is three days. You have three days (72 hours not
including Sundays) to vitiate a contract…to respond to any “bill” you receive. A “bill” is an
offer for you to do or pay something. You must have your tools set up in advance or be able to
dedicate the time necessary to respond to all bills timely and appropriately.
Do a search on google.com for “exchequer”. Ignore all the sites you find dealing with games
and people pretending to be old English. Do read the site of the Exchequer teaching his
replacement how the world works. It will be extremely revealing.
The Notarial Protest can be used to prove the dishonor of a commercial transaction, one that
involves a billing by a “corporate” entity. One cannot use a Notarial Protest for disputes that do
not involve a commercial transaction. If you misuse or lure a notary into helping you with a
dispute that is not commercial, you will be exposing the notary to enforcement proceedings frm
the state. If you are unsure about the type of process you have, read the notary law in the
subsequent chapters.

1E RESOURCES
It is suggested that you set up a “favorite folders” for Legal Resources. Copy and paste the links
into your browser below if they are not active. These are only a starting point. Have a Black’s
and Blackstone’s readily available so you understand the meaning of words. Read Ed Griffin’s
“Creature From Jekyll Island” and Jacques Jaikaran’s “Debt Virus”. It also may be helpful to
read Tom Schauf’s books to get a background and, if you can, get a hold of a copy of the
“Banker’s Manual” and Witkin’s “Negotiable Instruments”.
Also explore all the legal resources you have concerning notaries. Here’s an excerpt from the
Arizona Stattues:
Article 5 - Uniform Recognition of Acknowledgments Act
ARS 33-501. Recognition of notarial acts performed outside this state
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For the purposes of this article, "notarial acts" means acts which the laws and 
regulations of this state authorize notaries public of this state to perform, including the 
administering of oaths and affirmations, taking proof of execution and acknowledgments 
of instruments, and attesting documents. Notarial acts may be performed outside this 
state for use in this state with the same effect as if performed by a notary public of this 
state by the following persons authorized pursuant to the laws and regulations of other 
governments in addition to any other person authorized by the laws and regulations of 
this state… 
http://thomas.loc.gov/ after "Bill Number " enter 'H.R.2525'.  After "Word/Phrase" enter 'CONGRESSIONAL 
FINDINGS. 
Notary information: 
The original 1909 Notary Handbook  http://www.nwflnotary.bizland.com/fpc.htm 
Notary Public Books 
http://www.notarypubliclaw.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=NPL&Category_Code=P 
Alfred Piombino, Notary Public expert  http://www.notarypubliclaw.com/ 
Florida Statutes  
http://www.flsenate.gov/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=Ch0673/titl0673.htm&StatuteYear=200
2&Title=%2D%3E2002%2D%3EChapter%20673 
New York notary handbook, esp Chapter 12 
http://www.notarypubliclaw.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=NPL&Product_Code=50-4 
Kentucky Notary statutes:  http://www.lrc.state.ky.us/KRS/423-00/CHAPTER.HTM 
evidence of dishonor Wash.: 
http://search.leg.wa.gov/pub/textsearch/ViewRoot.asp?Action=Html&Item=1&X=1025124628&p=1 
http://search.leg.wa.gov/pub/textsearch/ViewRoot.asp?Action=Html&Item=9&X=1025124335&p=1 
http://search.leg.wa.gov/pub/textsearch/ViewRoot.asp?Action=Html&Item=9&X=1025124335&p=1 
Arbitration clauses illegal: http://www.atla.org/homepage/attcourt.aspx 
Debt, mortgage http://www.ecclesia.org/truth/debt.html 
On credit reports: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/crdtdis.htm - Sample%20Dispute%20Letter 
 http://www.debtwizards.com/creditreports.html 
 The law on Fair Credit Reporting:   http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fcrajump.htm 
NOTICES OF RIGHTS AND DUTIES UNDER THE FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT 
http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/2-fedreg.htm 
THE FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT  http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fcra.htm 
FTC EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL  http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/fcra/index.html 
FTC ONLINE COMPLAINT FORM https://rn.ftc.gov/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01 
Arizona’s equivalent of the UCC:  http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ars/47/title47.htm 
Cornell Law School Library:  http://www.law.cornell.edu/ 
 
  Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20580 
 202-326-2222  Toll Free (877) 382-4357   Web Site http://www.ftc.gov 
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 FTC REGIONAL OFFICES (by State) 
New Jersey, NYC. Hawaii, Northern California Nevada. 
150 William St. #1300 
New York, NY  10038 
(212)-264-1207 
901 Market St. #570 
San Francisco, CA  94103 
(415) 356-5270 
Delaware, Mich, Penn, Maryland, Ohio, and 
W VIRGINIA. 
Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, N & S 
Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. 
668 Euclid Ave. #520A 
Cleveland, Ohio 44114 
(216)-522-4207 
1961 Stout St. #1523 
Denver, Colorado 80294 
(303)-844-2271 
Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington. Vermont, Rhode Island, Conn., Maine, and 
Mass, New Hampshire. 
2806 Federal Building 
Seattle, Washington 98174 
(206)-442-465 
101 Merrimast #810 
Boston, Mass 02114 
(617)-424-5960 
Texas California and, Arizona. 
1999 Bryan St. #2150 
DALLAS, TEXAS 75201 
(214)-979-0213 
11000 Wilshire Blvd #13209 
Los Angeles, Ca  90024 
(310)-235-4000 
Virginia, Tenn., So Carolina, No Carolina, 
Alabama, Fl, Ga., Miss. 
ILL, Indiana, Iowa, Minn., Missouri, 
Wisconsin, Kentucky. 
60 Forsyth St. SW #5M35 
Atlanta, GA  30303 
(404)-656-1399 
55 E MONROE ST. #1860 
CHICAGO, ILL 60604 
(312)-353-4423 
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2 DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME
In order to perform the Honor-Dishonor process properly, you must have a notary willing
and able to complete the process for you. 21 days after your CA/A (Conditional
Acceptance/Affidavit) is sent, depending on whether or not you wish them to produce an
accounting, the Notary will mail the Notice of Dishonor. If the Notary does not receive a
response to the Notice of Dishonor, 10 days later the Notary will mail the Second Notice of
Dishonor. If there is no response, five days later the Notary will send the Certificate of
Dishonor/Breach and Non-Response to you. The Notary will enter each notarial act in the
notary’s journal. The Notary will also be creating a “Notary’s File” which contains a duplicate
original of each document. The Notary will send you a complete duplicate of the “Notary File”
at the completion of the process.
You must provide the Notary with advance payment for services, written instructions, and
signature-ready documents. When you determine this is a process you want to utilize, secure a
knowledgeable notary’s services in advance of sending your first document. Have your safety
net firmly secured before you jump off the building.
Also, realize, as you proceed through this process, some creditors and reporting agencies will
not be cooperative. In fact, they may be downright irritating and frustrating as well as trying to
trick you into dishonor. They may assign the accounts to collectors who can be extremely
aggressive and try to trick you into dishonor. Keep a spiral notebook by the phone and document
the dates and times of any phone calls, as well as the name, phone number with extension (if you
can get it), agency and address of callers. Be prepared to state clearly,
“I cannot verify who you are and I do not conduct any busine ss on the
phone. If you have something to say or want me to know, write it down,
sign it and mail it,”
and then hang-up. Do not let them entice you into argument. If they continue to call and bother
you, you may wish to turn the tables on them by asking them to hold on for a minute, set the
phone down, simply walk away and hang the phone up after 10 or 15 minutes.
Be sure to inform all others who answer your phone that such calls may occur and not to let it
upset them.
You may also receive correspondence or further billing that appears intimidating or
threatening from the creditor as well as from collectors. Add to your spiral notebook list the date
and type of contact, as well as the name of the sender of each piece of communication you
receive. Remember that, each time they contact you after they have been notified not to contact
you, may be worth $1000 per communication, per your conditional acceptance, so smile and add
the dollars up. Don’t let it upset you or your household…but be sure to arm family members
with the knowledge so they are not upset by unwanted phone calls.
Obviously, having already implemented privacy strategies will prevent unwanted phone calls
from being inadvertently answered. Best to have a phone line you do not answer and only use
that number to give to all creditors.
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3 BACKGROUND 
We live under Maritime Law.  Maritime Law is contract law.  There is a public side and a 
private side.  The original contract is a private matter between two parties.  The public side is 
where the government and the courts, the “people”, enter into the equation.  Under Maritime 
Law, none of the standard “constitutional” or validity of the law arguments are applicable.  The 
courts don’t rule on crimes.  Courts can only hear controversy over damages.  In order for the 
court to take jurisdiction, a litigant must give up their “energy” and enter into the public side. 
Think about shipping in the 1700’s.  Merchants and shippers purchased and posted bonds to 
cover losses if a ship was lost at sea.   
Now consider what happens in a “criminal” setting.  A defendant is served a “warrant”.  
What is a warrant?  Have you ever received a tax refund check or a paycheck from state or local 
government?  It says right on the face of it that it is a warrant.  A warrant is a check, a payment.  
Who has the commercial “energy” when the defendant is served a warrant?  What is one of the 
first things a defendant does?   
The defendant is “charged”, arraigned, enters a plea and posts a bond.  The “charge” is an 
“offer” to pay or perform.  The arraignment is simply informing him of the offer.  The court 
cannot rule on criminal activities, so the “defendant” is often enticed into dishonor by being 
tricked into making a plea or entering into a plea “bargain”.  A plea is an “argument” and puts 
the defendant in dishonor.  A bail bond is insurance, a contract to perform – to appear or forfeit 
the insurance.  Entering into the bond contract is giving up the “energy”.  Remember the 72-hour 
right of rescission?  Well, if the “government” doesn’t post the bond in 72 hours, guess what?  
The defendant goes home.  The government is bankrupt and cannot post a bond.  Only the 
defendant can post the bond.  Even signing a contract to be released on one’s own recognizance 
is a bond and the defendant gives up his “energy”.1   
The CA/A process is designed to help you respond honorably when you receive a “draft”.  
Remember that a “draft” is an offer, a presentment, whether it is a bill or a statement, an 
allegation, or an inquiry.  You remain in honor when you timely respond with an acceptance 
(payment) or a Conditional Acceptance saying you will accept their draft if they “do” or “have” 
such-and-such.  The components of writing a good CA are to break the offer down into its most 
minute components and address each individually, and NOT address issues not contained in their 
draft.  Make no assumptions.  The CA must contain very specific language and specifically 
address the issues - better yet, if it contains legal citations. 
                                                 
1 Some accuseds are detained without arraignment and incommunicado, without even the opportunity to request an 
appearance bond posted by the accuser.  We are not suggesting this legal strategy will always work because they 
have the biggest guns, so be sure to learn more about the process before attempting to implement this type of 
strategy. 
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4 OVERVIEW
Everything you do in life - whether a draft or a bill for services rendered, a request to do
chores, or a letter asking why you did not file your taxes, is a draft (offer). Every time you are
addressed by some person, company or agency, realize you may be lured into responding
inappropriately. By law, you have 72 hours (three days) to change your mind on entering into
any contract. When you do respond, you must analyze what you are really being asked to do or
perform, or whether you are making assumptions about what is being requested. Every response
you make falls into one of four categories. The first two leave you in honor and in control. The
last two leave you in dishonor and you will lose:
• Conditionally Accept (CA) the offer
• Accept the offer;
• Argue; or,
• Ignore, be silent, acquiesce.
Consider the examples below and how you might respond in each circumstance using the
four options above. Which have you utilized? Were you in honor or dishonor? Will you prevail
or will you lose? Would you answer differently with your new-found knowledge if it happened
today?
1. Your 17 year-old child says he wants to stay out until midnight. You respond, “You
can stay out ‘til midnight if you complete all your homework and you don’t have
school tomorrow.”
2. Your significant other says, “After you take out the trash, we can have some quiet
time,’” so you take out the trash.
3. You get double billing for the carpet you just had installed. You call the business and
tell them you’re not going to pay it.
4. You receive a bill for a new roof, which was on your neighbor’s house. You throw
the bill away and laugh since it wasn’t your roof.
5. You receive an IRS CP515 inquiring why you didn’t file for last tax year. You send a
letter telling them that income tax is unconstitutional and you don’t have to file.
Frequently, creditors will intentionally take advantage of your commercial ignorance in order
to set you up or entice you into dishonor and cause you to lose. This is accomplished in many
ways, such as
• They make an offer, demand or draft so outrageous that it entices you to argue.
• They lure you to respond in a manner which technically is argument.
• They give you a far-off “respond by date” so that you do not respond within 72
hours.
• They don’t tell you how to cure a prior dishonor.
• They don’t respond at all to you so you don’t know what’s happened.
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On the other hand, you likely have responded many times “dishonorably”.  Consider these 
responses and categorize them. 
a. You complain about a service and refuse to pay for it. 
b. You write a letter disputing a charge on your credit card statement. 
c. You call a vendor and chew them out for billing you for someone else’s 
work/purchases. 
d. You don’t respond at all to someone who angers you. 
e. You reply with an “untruthful” or “outrageous” response. 
f. You file a lawsuit or a complaint. 
Remember, all facts are irrelevant and fly out the window when there is dishonor.  A judge 
can only intercede if there is controversy.  If there is stipulation, he has nothing to do and that’s 
the end of it.  You have “energy” and control if you stay in honor. 
There are two components to offers:  public and private.  Each issue is covered either 
procedurally or in substance.  You must be able to determine whether it is an issue you want to 
address publicly or privately.  The CA/A process is in the private sector.  Litigation is the public 
sector.  Substance can be handled in private by stipulation or agreement.  Procedure is handled 
by the courts.  Substance is establishing the facts.  Courts do not deal with facts, they deal with 
rules.  You can always go back and correct an error, but you should strive to not make any errors.  
If you were to draw a chart, it would look something like this: 
PUBLIC PRIVATE  
illusion Real  
debtor Creditor  
limited liability Full liability  
irresponsible Responsible  
opinion, presumption, testimony Facts and truth  
cannot act Serves others  
consumers Creates asset goods  
judge is immune Judge in ministerial capacity  
argument, dishonor Stipulation, agreement  
Procedure Substance  
As an example, in court, attorneys present their “argument”, which is a presumption.  Neither 
side can prove anything, so the judge has discretion as to who “wins”.  As long as there is 
controversy, the judge has immunity.  When there is stipulation and agreement, the judge is no 
longer immune if he intercedes.  There are elements to a stipulation:   
1. No party can argue or refute it. 
2. No party can offer supporting evidence. 
3. No judge can consider it or change it or it is reversible error. 
 
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5 DEFINITIONS
Black’s Law Dictionary 4th Edition
Acceptance. The taking and receiving of anything in good part, and as it were a tacit agreement
to a preceding act, which might have been defeated or avoided if such acceptance had not
been made…The act of a person to whom a thing is offered or tendered by another,
whereby he receives the thing with the intention of retaining it, such intention being
evidenced by a sufficient act…The exercise of power conferred by an offer by
performance of some act. Bills of Exchange. An engagement to pay the bill in money
when due…Conditional. An engagement to pay the bill on the happening of a
condition…A “Conditional acceptance” is in effect a statement that the offered is willing
to enter into a bargain differing in some respects from that proposed in the original offer.
The conditional acceptance is, therefore, itself a counter offer.
Conditional. That which is dependent upon or granted subject to a condition.
Honor, v. To accept a bill of exchange, or to pay a note, check, or accepted bill, at maturity and
according to its tenor.
Dishonor. In mercantile law and usage. To refuse or decline to accept a bill of exchange, or
refuse or neglect to pay a bill or note at maturity. Notice of Dishonor. A notice given by
the holder to the drawer of a bill, or to an indorser of a bill or note, that it has been
dishonored by non-acceptance on presentment for acceptance, or by nonpayment at its
maturity.
Bill. A formal declaration, complaint, or statement of particular things in writing. As a legal
term, this word has many meanings (a writing).
Bill of exchange. A written order from A. to B., directing B. to pay C a certain sum of money
therein named. (i.e., a Conditional Acceptance and its attachments)
Certificate of Protest - Oregon Revised Statutes 73.0505(2). “A protest is a certificate of
dishonor made by a United States consul or vice consul, or a notary public or other
person authorized to administer oaths by the law of the place where dishonor occurs. The
protest may be made upon information satisfactory to that person. The protest must
identify the instrument and certify that either presentment has been made or, if not made,
the reason why it was not made, and that the instrument has been dishonored by
nonacceptance or nonpayment. The protest may also certify that notice of dishonor has
been given to some or all parties.”
Domestic bill of exchange. A bill of exchange drawn on a person residing in the same state
with the drawer; or dated at a place in the state, and drawn on a person living within the
state. It is the residence of the drawer and drawee which must determine whether a bill is
domestic or foreign.
Foreign bill of exchange. A bill of exchange drawn in one state or country, upon a foreign state
or country. A bill of exchange drawn in one country upon another country not governed
by the same homogeneous laws, or not governed throughout by the same municipal laws.
A bill of exchange drawn in one of the United States upon a person residing in another
state is a foreign bill.
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Inland Bill of Exchange.  One of which the drawer and drawee are residents of the same state or 
country.  
Notary Public.  A public officer whose function it is to administer oaths; to attest and certify, by 
his hand and official seal, certain classes of documents, in order to give them credit and 
authenticity in foreign jurisdictions; to take acknowledgments of deeds and other 
conveyances, and certify the same; and to perform certain official acts, chiefly in 
commercial matters, such as the protesting of notes and bills, the noting of foreign 
drafts, and marine protest in cases of loss or damage.   
Stamp.  An impression made by public authority, in pursuance of law, upon paper or parchment, 
upon which certain legal proceedings, conveyances, or contracts are required to be 
written, and for which a tax or duty is exacted.  (app. 2”x3” usually pre-inked stamp the 
notary places on a document.) 
Seal.  A particular sign, made to attest in the most formal manner, the execution of an 
instrument.  
Public Seal.  A seal belonging to and used by one of the bureaus or departments of government, 
for authenticating or attesting documents, process or records.  An impression made of 
some device, by means of a piece of metal or other hard substance, kept and used by 
public authority.  
Noting.  (Dictionary of Business, Oxford University Press, 1996)  The procedure adopted if a bill of 
exchange has been dishonoured by non-acceptance or by non-payment.  Not later than the 
next business day after the day on which it was dishonored, the holder has to hand it to 
the notary public to be noted.  The notary represents the bill; if it is still unaccepted or 
unpaid, the circumstances are noted in a register and also on a notarial ticket, which is 
attached to the bill.  The noting can then, if necessary, be extended to a protest. 
Noting.  The act of a notary in minuting on a bill of exchange, after it has been presented for 
acceptance or payment, the initials of his name, date of the day, month and year when 
such presentment was made, and the reason, if any has been assigned, for non-acceptance 
or non-payment, together with his charge. 
Ticket.  In contracts.  A slip of paper containing a certificate that the person to whom it is issued, 
or the holder, is entitled to some right or privilege therein mentioned or described. 
Protest.  A notarial act, being a formal statement in writing made by a notary under his seal of 
office, at the request of the holder of a bill or note, in which it is declared that the bill or 
note described was on a certain day presented for payment (or acceptance) and that such 
payment or acceptance was refused, and stating the reasons, if any, given for such refusal, 
whereupon the notary protests against all parties to such instrument, and declares that 
they will be held responsible for all loss or damage arising from its dishonor.  It denotes 
also all the steps or acts accompanying the dishonor necessary to charge an indorser. 
Chapter 5 Page 2  2003- 09-16 
Protest.   (Dictionary of Business, Oxford University Press, 1996)  A procedure by which a notary 
provides formal evidence of the dishonour of a bill of exchange.  When a foreign bill has 
been dishonoured by non-acceptance or nonpayment, it is handed to the notary, who 
usually presents it again.  If it is still dishonoured, the notary attaches a slip showing the 
answer received and other particulars – a process called noting.  The protest, in the form 
of a formal document, may then be drawn up at a later time.

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6 ANALYZING THEIR DRAFT/OFFER 
 
When you receive a draft, a bill, an offer or a presentment, you must understand what it is 
they are asking from you, what it is they are asking you to do, what they really mean, and NOT 
what you assume they mean.  It is imperative that you NOT make any assumptions or 
presumptions.  Slowly read through their document and ask yourself the following questions: 
¾ What claims are they making? 
¾ What are you accepting? 
¾ What would prove their claim? 
¾ Does their proof exist? 
¾ In what form would their proof exist? 
¾ What do you want them to produce in order to prove their proof? 
¾ What happens if they don’t produce the proof of their claim? 
¾ What is your foundation in law for requesting that they prove their claim? 
¾ What laws do they have to follow? 
¾ Are you following the laws you are required to follow? 
¾ What would prove your position? 
¾ What do you want to happen at the conclusion of the matter? 
¾ Do you want some type of recompense at the end of the matter? 
¾ Has it affected your credit in any way?  Will it?   
¾ How do you want to resolve any credit issues at the end? 
It is always a good idea to take a pad of paper and list the answers.  Then begin to construct your 
conditional or full acceptance. 
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7 AVOID PITFALLS AND ERRORS
As you construct your response, you must avoid the most frequent pitfalls in language that
will place you in dishonor. Remember English-101:
• Waiting longer than 72 hours before responding.
• Giving the impression you agree with their offer.
• Conditionally accepting an offer they have not made.
• Requesting documents that do not apply to their offer.
• Requesting documents that support their claims
• Testifying.
• Arguing.
• Failing to specify a response date.
• Failing to specify a response address.
• Not giving reasonable time to respond to your CA/A.
• Not giving a reasonable time to respond with an accounting [UCC 9-210(4)(d) = 14
days].
• Setting unrealistic and unsubstantiated damage amounts.
• Failing to give notice to the court that you are handling this matter privately (if
applicable).
• Failing for subsequent offers, traversing to their issue and leaving your CA behind.
• Starting the CA/A process before you are ready to finish it.
• Failing to understand the principles and law applicable to what you are doing.
Errors will place you into unintended dishonor. Remember that dishonor equals loss, equals
the debtor. Errors generally fall into two types of categories:
1) Uncorrected errors in either procedure or substance.
2) Incorrect use of phrases and terms, or making statements of argument:
a) Unacceptab le
b) No good
c) Fraudulent
d) Prima facie evidence
e) Non- meritorious
f) “I don’t understand”
g) Makes no sense
h) Incom plete accounting
i) Incom plete records
j) Making a claim
k) Making a statement
l) Making a bluff
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8 THE CA CONSTRUCT
Every Conditional Acceptance must contain these essential components:
1. What it is you want them to produce.
2. When you want them to produce it.
3. What happens if they don’t produce it.
4. What the penalties are.
5. What the remedy is.
It is just like a complaint. You most likely will want to ask for a statement of account, which
requires 14 days instead of 10. If they don’t have an initial transaction, they can’t bill you.
They have to have something where you signed at some time for them to have a valid claim
Further, it is important as you review samples provided, that you analyze each of the PoC’s
to see if they apply to your situation. You may not need all of the PoC’s in the samples, or you
may need to incorporate other PoC’s not contained in the samples. You MUST customize every
CA to meet your particular situation.
After the notarial protest, to complete the process, you send a letter of request to the clerk of
the court asking the clerk to give the judge the courtesy copies of the acceptance and redraft, the
affidavit, and the presentment which you have accepted and signed. All of your documents that
accompany the letter should be stamped “copy” on each page. The letter of request to the clerk
should specify that it is your intent to settle the account privately without resort to a tribunal.
That is your remedy. You have a third party serve it with a Proof of Service, a Certificate of
Service, showing the registered mail number.
A Conditional Acceptance may be a letter or a formal document. Either generally begins
with wording stating:
“ I/We conditionally accept your offer to…”
followed by the conditional elements, such as Upon proof of claim or Documentation verifying
RESPONDENT’s claim that :
1. Jane Doe entered into a contract with you to perform to your demands;
2. all the terms of the contract were disclosed in the document;
3. the alleged loan account was ever validated or verified;
4. an attempt to collect upon a fraudulent debt, sent via the U.S. mail, is something other
than a violation of the mail fraud statutes.
The CA must not request that the creditor prove a negative, that something did not exist or
happen. It is an impossibility. One cannot prove a negative on a certain date and time. One can
only prove that something did exist. It must also not speak in generalities or traverse (deny).
If you have phrased the language of the CA properly, you will be able to easily convert the
proofs of claim into affidavit format for the Affidavit which accompanies the CA. The Affidavit
(A) will simply restate the same information contained in the CA with slight revisions to form to
make it an “A”. Notice the change of language in italics below. The CA contains the Proof of
Claim (PoC) language at the beginning of the sentence. The “A” language has replaced the PoC
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with the words “The affiant has not seen or been presented with…” and ends with the “belief” 
statement.  Each of the four statements below directly correlates to the four PoC’s above. 
1. Affiant has not seen or been presented with any documentation verifying that Jane Doe 
entered into a contract with you to perform to your demands; and believe that no such 
verified documentation exists; 
2. Affiant has not seen or been presented with documentation verifying that all the terms of 
the contract were disclosed in the document, and believes that no such verified 
documentation exists; 
3. Affiant has not seen or been presented with any documentation verifying that the alleged 
loan account was ever validated or verified, and believes that no such verified 
documentation exists; 
4. Affiant has not seen or been presented with any documentation verifying that an attempt to 
collect upon a fraudulent debt, sent via the U.S. mail, is something other than a 
violation of the mail fraud statutes, and believes that no such verified documentation 
exists. 
Each numbered PoC should contain only one element to be provided or proven.  Do not use 
compound sentences (sentences containing the word “and”) or sentences using an inferred “and”.  
Break each sentence “thing” down into its multiple components.  As an example, you know that 
they don’t have your original promissory note because they sold it and the new lender only has a 
photocopy; not an original signature.  Address each component separately.  As an example:   
• PoC that you have the original promissory note;  
• PoC the original promissory note you have is still in its original, unaltered form. 
 Every CA should also contain your right to correct a previous dishonor or error.  Below are 
some samples to address this issue, or it may be addressed in your opening paragraph: 
• PoC that this conditional acceptance is a refusal to perform; 
• PoC that this conditional acceptance is a refusal to perform, even AFTER a 
judgment or “Decision”, once proof of claim is delivered; 
• PoC that this conditional acceptance is refusal to perform, even AFTER a 
judgment or “Decision”, once the mistaken “dishonor” of said “Decision” is 
corrected and the proof of claim is delivered; 
The CA should contain reference to the UCC reference contained in your State statutes and 
the closing language should contain statements similar to this, as well as what you want to 
happen after the dishonor of your CA: 
Your State law § (enter your state code # for UCC 9-210) requires you to provide me with a full 
and complete, accurate and not misleading accounting including, but not limited to, the initial 
deposit and all charge slips with relevant entries.  Failure to accept this Conditional Acceptance, 
by producing the requested records and documentation, responding on a point by point basis in 
Affidavit form under your full commercial liability, including all related documents that verify 
you have authority to enforce an instrument including, without limitation, certified copies of 
documentation showing you are a bona fide creditor in a collection process, and a certified copy of 
your registered claim, pursuant to Title 15, Sections 1091, 1095, showing DOE as the debtor and 
you as the secured party creditor, and the security agreement supporting said registered claim with 
the DOE’s signatures, and stating that the facts contained therein are true, correct, complete and 
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not misleading, pursuant to STATE Statutes, within fourteen (14) days** plus mailing time, shall
constitute your agreement with the facts stated in the attached Asseveration.
This is a private presentment to you in your individual capacity and is intended to effect an out-of-
court settlement of this matter. Conduct yourself accordingly.
**Note: If you are requesting an accounting, you must give them 14 +3+3=20 days. If you are
not requesting an accounting, it is only 3+3+3=9 – however, the code specifies 14 minimum. You
cannot count Sundays or holidays.
Look up your state equivalent to the UCC at http://www.law.cornell.edu/uniform/ucc.html. Search
your state equivalent listing for the Uniform Commercial Code for a section that is similiarly
numbered. As an example UCC 9-210 is Arizona ARS 47-9210. Your state code will contain
the same UCC section number in a different order with hyphens in different locations and
possibly slightly different wording. It is easiest to search the state equivalent of the UCC for the
Title of the particular statute. Once you find your state equivalent to the UCC, bookmark it for
your future reference and it would be wise to print it out , three-hole punch it and place your state
Commercial Code in a binder.
In the commercial world, the CA/A process works best for living men/women who have
chosen to obtain control of their corporate entity “strawman” by filing their own UCC-1 on the
strawman and taking the first lien-holder position on the strawman’s properties (see UCC
Manual). Both living men/women and corporate entities can place liens on others for debts owed
them. Think about a building contractor who liens the real estate owner for the materials utilized
in constructing a new home. The contractor keeps that lien in place until he is paid and then
releases the lien. Utilizing a UCC-1 against the creditor when they fail to honor both you and the
Notary and therefore have stipulated to the facts contained in your affidavit and redraft enables
you to place a lien, which has marketable value and can be sold to others or enforced; however,
you must obtain the creditor’s stipulation in advance of placing any lien and the ideal time to
obtain that stipulation is in your CA/A, which will likely be agreed to by their silence and
dishonor.
When you have completed writing the CA/A documents, in order for this process to be
effective, you must also include either a Bill of Exchange, a Promissory Note or a Bond which
they are authorized to negotiate after having proved their claim and provided the documentation
proving their claim.

NOTE: The “Final Attempt” CA/A are only for use by those who have utilized some other
Administrative Remedy Process to try to discharge or settle an account before and were
unsuccessful….you are allowed to correct a prior mistake. The “Final Attempt” corrects your
prior errors. You must either use the CA/A or the Final Attempt CA/A – but not both for the
same creditor! You will then follow the same documents order in the templates labeled CC-2,
CC-3, CC-4, etc. in the Samples section to complete the notarial protest.
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9 THE BILL OF EXCHANGE
In this process, you will create a Bill of Exchange. The “bill” which was presented to you, is
now “exchanged” by you to “pay”or “discharge” the account and send back to them. There are
many writings, essays and schools of thought on the bill of exchange process. Below are two
commentaries to consider.
Bills of Exchange are an instruction to the payee to use their financial institution to
facilitate your authorization to use your exemption to discharge a public debt. This is a
setoff and adjustment - not a draw on the treasury. There are no funds to transfer in an
exchange involving an exemption. It is a setoff and an adjustment to adjust the open
public account using your exemption from having to pay for anything when there is no
“specie” (coined money, gold and silver) in circulation outside the box. What could the
man (who is outside the US box) possibly use to pay a debt? There is nothing outside
the box to do that. That is why the strawman is so convenient. The strawman can use
FRN's inside the box to pay the tax on not paying for the items. Great idea -- right????

EXCHANGE CONTRACTS – AN UNOFFICIAL BRIEF
Provisions fo r exchange contracts based on pri ority tax exempti ons are scatter ed
throughout various legislative acts, joint resolutions and executive orders in 1933 and
in the Congressional Record based on HJR-192, confirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court
in 1939 – Guarantee Trus t of New York v. Henwood , et al (FN3) and codi fied in Public
Law 73-10.
However, the exchange process must only be used as an “Accepted For Value”
response. A written claim must be received. Only then can the Secured Party
respond. Mr. Paul O’Neill recently made it clear to a Senator from Arkansas that when
he is aware of and receives Bills of Exchange, he holds them, thus honoring them.
Private sector claims can be discharged using a negotiable instrument such as the Bill
of Exchange, etc. and must be processed through a local financial institution that holds
or has access to a Treasury Tax and Loan account. The TTL account is administered
and controlled by the Technical Support Division of the IRS. This is a change under
re-organization wherein these accounts were formerly administered by the Special
Procedure Function Division of the IRS. All of these actions take time and must be
based on written claims.
Furthermore, as near as I have been able to ascertain, all public debts are discharged
with a simple ledger entry and computer transfer for credit and debit through the IRS
Technical Support Division. However, certain individuals at the Department of the
Treasury persist in misrouting many of the documents presented to the Secretary of
the Treasury by labeling them as Treasury Securities (which they are not) sending
them to the Bureau of Public Debt instead of to the UCC Contract Trust Department of
the IRS.
Private sector debts are discharged through a slightly more involved process requiring
Claimant’s bank to process the negotiable instrument through to the Secretary of the
Treasury, the Federal Window, that officially became a bank at 1500 Pennsylvania
Ave. NW in Washington, D.C. in 2001. Under Commercial Banking Codes the bank
that processes the negotiable instrument through its TTL Department is required to
issue a credit to the account and place a hold on the credit for a designated number of
days, then Release the Order for credit to the designated account. Many bankers
claim they are not familiar with the Bill of Exchange even though the details regarding
it have been published in Witkin – Negotiable Instruments, Vol. III for well over 80
years and is considered to be the banking industry standard. Many banks hesitate to
process this class of negotiable instrument. However, Federal Banking Regulations
and a growing number of court decisions (stare decisis) make it clear that the banks
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must accept and process these negotiable instruments. The IRS has indicated that
regulations now require each Bill of Exchange presented into the private sector must
also be attached to a 1099 OID that requires notification to the IRS of the transaction.
Major changes took place in the operation of the Federal Reserve beginning January 1,
2001. All public windows were closed at all Federal Reserve Banks. Only member
banks of the Federal Reserve can do business with them. With one exception all
Federal Reserve Banks no longer process non-electronic negotiable instruments. Pass-
thru negotiable instruments such as the Bill of Exchange must be processed through a
local financial institution sent directly to the Secretary of the Treasury via Certified
Mail. All other non-cash commercial paper is now handled through the Depository
Trust Corporation.
The Department of the Treasury Bank (DTB), the Federal Reserve and many local
banks acknowledge the lawful Bill of Exchange. However, these documents directed to
the Secretary of the Treasury must be presented through a financial institution, signed
by them (bonded) as the agent for direct presentment. Upon honor of the document
by the Secretary of the Treasury, the bank is authorized to release the hold and credit
the Claimant’s account. According to banking regulations, Witkin- Negotiable
Instruments - and an increasing number of court decisions the Bill of Exchange is to be
treated the same as a check except it must be sent directly to the Secretary via
Certified Mail. Complete routing instructions must be included (Letter of Advice) in
order for the Bill of Exchange to be processed and honored. Each Bill of Exchange set
of documents is to be attached to an IRS 1099 OID form. Each set of documents must
be delivered via Certified mail to the Secretary. Only the Secretary of the Treasury
has the authority and jurisdiction to honor or dishonor these negotiable instruments.
Some government agents attempt to usurp that authority and many such documents
have been misdirected to the Bureau of Public Debt. Many banks attempt to reject
these instruments even though the regulations and the courts direct them to process
them as instructed.
We do not, at this time, advocate the use of a 1099 OID. Until one fully understands the
import of sending and filing such a document, please do NOT use one.
As you go through this process, not only keep in mind what “money” really is, but also
remember the Fair Debt Collections Practice Act (which applies to the strawman) and the UCC.
Arizona Revised Statute (look it up in your state)
47-3603 reads: Tender of payment:
A. If tender of payment of an obligation to pay an instrument is made to a person
entitled to enforce the instrument, the effect of tender is governed by principles of
law applicable to tender of payment under a simple contract.
B. If tender of payment of an obligation to pay an instrument is made to a person
entitled to enforce the instrument and the tender is refused, there is discharge, to
the extent of the amount of the tender, of the obligation of an indorser or
accommodation party having a right of recourse with respect to the obligation to
which the tender relates.
C. If tender of payment of an amount due on an instrument is made to a person
entitled to enforce the instrument, the obligation of the obligor to pay interest after
the due date on the amount tendered is discharged. If presentment is required
with respect to an instrument and the obligor is able and ready to pay on the due
date at every place of payment stated in the instrument, the obligor is deemed to
have made tender of payment on the due date to the person entitled to enforce
the instrument.
There is some disagreement as to the exact meaning of “B” above. One interpretation is that
you are tendering payment and they are accepting by acquiescence or refusing it, therefore, the
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debt is discharged. BoE’s vary a little in their language, depending on the writer. Another
interpretation might be that only the right of recourse is conferred. Depending on which is truly
the correct interpretation, a BoE will resolve the matter if done properly. As we learn more
about bonds of discharge, it may be the easiest way to settle the account, but will have to be
accompanied with instructions. Always be sure of the course you chose to follow. Either way,
all contain the value, the date, and your signature.
Remember, in this process you are offering to let them negotiate the BoE or Bond AFTER
they have proven their claims, so please ensure you have specified in your conditional
acceptance that they can only negotiate AFTER their production of the verified documents you
have requested.
In some instances, you will not fill in the value in words and numbers because you cannot
equate what the value is. In that instance, you will include instructions for them to fill in the
value and notify you of the amount, after they have proven their claims and provided their proof.
Yours may be an overlay you photocopy onto their bill. Your EIN is the SSN without the
dashes. It must NOT be contained in a box, and is best if it is printed in red and signed by you in
blue ink. It might look like this:

Accepted for Value
Exempt from Levy
I accept this Presentment for value or performance, including all related indorsements,
front and back, for immediate release of the proceeds, products, accounts and fixtures,
according to the Uniform Commercial Code 10-104 and UCC 1-104, as it has been
adopted in this State, and House Joint Resolution 192, June 5, 1933,
Value $__________________ Date__________________
Employer Identification #
______________________________________________________ (your signature)

Accepted for assessed value and returned in
exchange for closure and settlement of this
accounting.
Date________________________, 2003
Employer Identification #

(your signature)

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10 THE AFFIDAVIT
The Affidavit in Support of Conditional Acceptance is much easier to assemble and write
than the CA. This is your affidavit, in Negative Averment form, as to the facts: that you have
not seen or been presented with the documentations or evidence you are asking them to produce
in your Conditional Acceptance. It is standard format with the county and state heading, the title
of the document, followed by the text of the document. The first statement must be your ability
to make an affidavit. Thereafter, you simply copy and paste the facts. Do not create the
Affidavit until after you are happy with the entirety of your CA. It is wise to take a duplicate
original to the notary as you will be mailing one original to the respondent and you will want an
original to photocopy for the rest of the process the Notary will send out for you and to keep one
in your file records.
The Affidavit (“A”) must be signed and sworn to, under penalty of perjury, in front of a
Notary. You must raise your right hand and swear or affirm the truth of the document. Many
notaries will not know the difference between simply witnessing the signature, verifying the
identity of the maker (an acknowledgement), and giving an oath witnessing the affidavit (jurat).
Tell them it is an affidavit and speak the oath firmly out loud. Ensure the notary makes an entry
in their notary book that this notarial service was an affidavit and they signed a jurat.
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11 MAILING TOOLS 
You will need to obtain the following mailing tools before you mail so you are not making 
numerous trips to the office supply store or the post office: 
1. Either Priority Mail Envelopes or Manila envelopes large enough to accommodate 
your documents 
2. Pre-inked stamps that say “copy” and “original”.  They can be obtained from any 
office supply house 
3. Green Receipts for Domestic Insured Parcel PS Form 3813 
4. Registered Mail red and white label PS Form 200 
5. Receipts for Registered Mail PS Form 3806 
6. Certified Mail Receipts PS Form 3800 
7. Green return receipt Postcards PS Form 3811 
8. If you have multiple people you are mailing to, PS Form 3877 (comes in a book)  
9. White USPS 3817 Certificate of Mailing forms for the Post Office to sign (Do not 
trim the downloadable forms!!  Use a full page for each.) 
10. Sufficient Priority Mail postage stamps to affix to the envelopes you are sending to 
the notary for the notary to mail.  Be sure to include sufficient postage to cover the 
cost of certified mail return receipt, not just the priority mail price.  The notary will 
need three sets of stamps for each “respondent” mailing, plus a set of stamps to send 
the package back to you containing the original Certificates of Dishonor, Notary 
Notes and Proofs of Service.  (If you must use a postage meter, be sure the imprint 
date is not printed.) 
 
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12 WRITING THE DOCUMENTS 
First you will write the CA, and then copy and paste to create the Affidavit (“A”).  The 
following language is to be used as a guideline only.  You must customize the documents to fit 
the presentments you have received.  Each and every CA/A is different for every offer because 
rarely are two offers identical.  Remember, you are NOT to argue, but only present statements 
for stipulation.  You must never ask them to prove a negative, so phrase your “Proof of Claim” 
statements or “Production of Evidence” in proper language. 
 
1. The CA, with bill of exchange, should include: 
a. identity of parties 
b. mailing location of parties 
c. notice that it is a private communication 
d. identity of the subject matter (respondents’ presentment) 
e. notice of your acceptance 
f. notice that you are returning the presentment after acceptance 
g. notice that you do not intend to argue or dishonor 
h. notice of what positive performance you are requesting 
i. list of what documents you want to view to determine the validity of the obligation 
j. caveat if respondent fails to provide his claim 
k. instructions regarding required response and response time 
l. the original accepted for value or performance presentment attached to notice of 
the conditions of the acceptance. 
This is your bill of exchange (BoE).  A “bill” is a “writing”.  Your writing may be an 
offer to exchange your tax exemption for the discharge of the respondent’s charge or 
it may be private funds or any number of other “things”.  The charge was fixed by the 
respondent when he elected to send you an offer in the form of a demand.  When you 
write your “Accepted for Value” on the respondent’s presentment (offer or bill), you 
have authorized the respondent to negotiate the private exchange to settle the debt, 
but your authorization for him to do that can be conditional upon his ability to prove 
his claim.  You may even authorize him to go ahead and negotiate the accepted 
presentment without proving his claim; in return (the other part of the exchange), he 
must send you a discharge notice for the value of his presentment.  Send the original 
BoE to them.  Keep a copy for your records. 
2. At the same time, you may choose to also commence a public debt verification process 
using the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA).  The FDCPA is “their” law and 
applies to their “fictions”, including the strawman.  Their law does not apply to a secured 
party or a living soul – only the principles of  their law apply.  If you reference their law 
as a living soul or secured party, you are volunteering into their jurisdiction, so you must 
only reference the principles.  If you elect to commence a public debt verification, be sure 
it is the STRAWMAN who is using the FDCPA or the secured party/living soul who 
references the PRINCIPLES of the FDCPA.  You do not need or want benefits from 
statutes promulgated for US citizens (strawman).  Always remember who you are.  The 
sentient being can only request verification that comports with the principles of the 
FDCPA and not the FDCPA itself. 
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3. Write the Affidavit.
4. A friend (server) stuffs the envelope to mail to the respondent. (The reason for this is to
avoid having to deal with a respondent who claims he received the envelope but it was
empty when he got it.) Your friend will give you the original certificate of service. A
photocopy is just fine to enclose with the documents.
a. Original Conditional Acceptance
b. Original Affidavit (make sure you have a duplicate original in your files!!)
c. Respondent’s original presentment that has been accepted for value (BoE) and is now
being returned
d. Unsigned certificate of service (so the respondent knows we are using a certificate
which is unsigned because the envelope has not yet been mailed.
Your friend mails the envelope by registered mail with return receipt requested and gets
the white PS Form 3806 Receipt stamped. Your friend must not be a relative and at least
18 years old. Sometimes, the Postal Clerk will ask for a value for the registered package.
Your friend may value the package at $100 just to get it mailed.
5. Make three (3) copies of everything – one for your records and two for the notary.
6.Your friend signs the Certificate of Service. Make a copy to enclose with the envelope and
one for the notary. Keep the original in your file.
7. If appropriate, send a Statement of Account.
8. You should get the green card back about with a week to ten days. If you do not receive
the green card, go to the Post Office and request a tracking printout of the registered
package, which the Postal Clerk should date and cancel providing third-party witness to
the package’s delivery. Keep the original postal printout or green card and make a copies
to provide to the notary.
9. On 21st day after your BoE and CA/A was mailed to the respondent, send the following
for the notary to include with the notary’s Notices:
a. Your original affidavit requesting the notary carry out a protest for you (it will not be
included with the notices from the notary to the “creditor”);
b. Four copies of your Local Notary Request for Notarial Process (one for the notary’s
file);
c. Four copies of your friend’s Proof of Service of your CA/A (one for the notary’s file);
d. Four copies of the CA with your BoE (one for the notary’s file upon which the notary
will write notes);
e. Four copies of your Affidavit (one for the notary’s file which the notary will write her
notes directly on), as well as a separate Notary Notes page.
f. Four copies of the respondent’s presentments that you accepted for value and
returned;
g. Four copies of your attachments to the CA (if you have any);
h. Four copies of the registered receipt and green card from mailing your CA/A;
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i. Four copies of the Notary’s Proof of Service (PoS) for each notice she is sending out 
on your behalf, which the Notary will sign.  One goes into the envelope to the 
respondent, one stays in the notary’s files, and two will come back to you at the end. 
j. Two original Notices of Dishonor which the Notary will sign, stamp and seal, (one to 
send back to you later and one for the notary’s file); 
k. Two original Second Notice of Dishonor (one to send back to you later and one for 
the notary’s file); 
l. Four original Certificates of Dishonor.  You get at least three originals back from the 
notary (in case you need extras to enter as evidence in a public forum).  The notary 
should keep one in the notary’s file.  This does not need to go to the Respondent, but 
you may send a copy if you desire. 
m. Four original sets of Notary Notes to be attached to the Certificate of Dishonor stating 
the terms of the agreement (if applicable).  The notary mails only a photocopy of the 
Certificate to the Respondent and mails several duplicate originals to you. 
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13 YOUR AFFIDAVIT TO THE NOTARY
You must create an affidavit requesting the protest by the Notary, which you present to the
notary the day after the respondent has dishonored your CA/A along with all the documents and
postage-prepaid envelopes for the notary to perform the protest on your behalf. You may
prepare the affidavit in advance and fill in the remaining data just before you send it to the notary
for protest. DO NOT DELAY! The actual affidavit may be notarized by any local notary – in
fact, it is best if it is not notarized by the notary who is actually performing the protest for you.
The affidavit requesting the services of the Notary must state the facts:
a. The County and State at the top
b. The title “Affidavit”
c. Your name and address
d. Your ability to make an affidavit
e. What was mailed to the respondent;
f. The identity of the respondent;
g. The mailing address of the respondent
h. When it was mailed;
i. W ho mailed it;
j. What type of response was received, if any.
The affidavit must also request the services of the notary to evidence the dishonor through
protest. The dishonor is one of non-payment (creditor’s lack of response), NOT one of non-
acceptance. If the respondent did not refuse or return your bill of exchange, he accepted it.
Once he accepts it, he has an obligation to pay it or perform. Paying it includes (this is a limiting
word) withdrawal of his demand (offer) OR production of the requested documentation that
proves his claim. If he does neither, he has not paid or performed; he has accepted.
The wording in the statute says “for non-acceptance OR non-payment”. It is important not to
give them a way to get out of paying (also performing) by claiming later that you admitted your
Bill of Exchange was not accepted by the respondent. If your previous process has the “non-
acceptance” in the Notice of Dishonor, it is not a fatal error because they would have to join
issues with you to bring that claim into the process and you could correct your error. In
commerce, when you make an error, you correct it or start the process over. The typical
respondents in the political system are seldom able to prove their claims.
MAKE A COPY FOR YOUR RECORDS.
THE ORIGINAL GOES TO THE NOTARY PERFORMING THE PROTEST.
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14 THE NOTARY NOTES 
You are to prepare four original sets of Notary Notes to be attached to the Certificate of 
Dishonor stating the terms of the agreement (if applicable). 
You should prepare the Notary Notes ahead of time and the contents should be taken directly 
from your original CA/A.  Ensure all the “agreements” are contained within the Notary Notes, 
but it should appear as though the notary wrote it.  It is critical that you use precise and exact 
wording.  The notary cannot add words or interpret law or intent, or clarify anything that is 
ambiguous in your original CA.  The phrasing should not be changed other than to make it fit the 
format of the attachment; i.e., noun and verb tense may be changed since the presentment will 
usually have future tense verbs and the attachment will have present tense or past tense verbs.  
The notary should take all due diligence to compare the wording on the attachment to the 
wording on your CA.  Technically, the notary is not held liable for mistakes on a protest because 
it is one of her judicial duties, but you do not want to put the notary in a compromising situation 
that can be avoided by your being diligent. 
The notary will also sign the attachment showing her findings of fact based upon your 
affidavit and their dishonor. 
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15 THE PROCESS IN DETAIL
1. Prepare the Conditional Acceptance (CA) first.
A. Ensure that you have entered the appropriate timeframe including mailing each way
within which the Respondent is to respond (varies depending on whether you have
requested an accounting).
B. If you have filed your UCC-1 on your strawman, you may wish to include a “proof of
claim” that you have not been damaged, their agreement to your recordation of a
UCC1 against them for the damages they have caused you. Make sure your damage
claim is reasonable and can be substantiated. You will also amend the signature lines
for the man’s signature instead of the strawman’s signature.
2. Create the Affidavit by copying and pasting the numbered “proofs of claim” from the CA.
A. Replace the phrase “Documentation verifying” phrasing with “Affiant has not seen
or….”
B. If you have constructed each item separately, verify that the phrase and “believes no
such evidence exists” is at the end of each separate item..
3. Verify that each document is properly addressed and contains the appropriate opening and
closing paragraphs.
4. Change one of the respondent’s “bills” into a Bill of Exchange.
5. Attach copies of the creditor’s presentments to the CA.
A. At the bottom of each page of the creditor’s presentments, label them as Presentment
1A, 1B, 2, 3 etc.
6. Behind the Presentments, you may attach copies of your prior letters or notices and label
them as Attachment A1, A2, B, etc.
7. Assemble a total of six complete sets (excluding the Notary Jurat): one for you, the original
to send to the creditor, and four to send to the Notary.
8. Have a local Notary Public notarize your BLUE signature on the Affidavit (A) and make five
good photocopies of the jurat and place them behind the Affidavit in the sets.
9. Either through the Notary Public or by a friend, use the Proof of Service and have the friend
or Notary mail the original CA/A to the creditor with forms PS 3817 Certificate of Mailing or
by Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested. Do NOT include a copy of the Proof of Service
with the Mailing.
10. Optional: Insure the package for $49 using a PS Form 3813 (cost=$1.35).
11. Prepare the Notary’s package.

NOTE: YOU WILL HAVE TO CHOOSE EITHER CERTIFIED MAIL RETURN RECEIPT
OR USPS CERTIFICATE OF MAILING. USPS WILL NOT DO BOTH. WE PREFER THE
CERTIFIED MAIL.
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16 WHAT THE NOTARY DOES 
 
The Notary: 
1. Receives your Affidavit requesting the Notarial Protest. 
2. Signs each Notice and places their Notary stamp and seal1 upon each. 
3. Completes a Proof of Service for each Notice, which will later be sent to you. 
4. Makes a duplicate original of each Notice to send to you later. 
5. Takes the postage pre-paid envelopes to the USPS. 
6. Has the USPS stamp the Certificates of Mailing and utilizes a separate Form 3877 for 
multiple mailings to the same Company. 
7. Mail the duplicate notarized Notices, Proofs of Service, USPS 3817 and 3877, 
Certificates of Dishonor and green postcard originals to you in your SASE 
 
 
Be sure to inform the Notary that, if any res ponse is received by the Notary during the 
process, the Notary is  to immediately fax  it to you so tha t you may  amend or correct the  
next Notice the Notary  will send on your behalf.  Be sur e to reca lculate the n ew mailing 
date for the Notary.  The Notary is NOT to send the next Notice until you have review ed 
the response and determined if th ere are issues to be addressed and subsequent documents 
to be amended or changed. 
 
                                                 
1 If the Notary does not haave an embossing tool (seal), the Notary, in blue ink, is to write their initials and then 
place their inked thumbprint half-way over the initials. 
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17 PREPARE THE DOCS FOR THE NOTARY
You are to:
1. Prepare everything ahead of time:
a. Fill in all the Notary information, including first name, middle initial, last name,
mailing address, city and state (and county where appropriate).
b. Fill in the month and year of all the Notices and Certificates, leaving the calendar
day for the Notary to fill in.
c. Pre-address the envelopes to the “respondent”.
d. Ensure each envelope has the Notary’s return address.
e. Com plete the green postcards (PS form 3811) and receipts (PS 3800)
f. Ensure each envelope has the proper amount of postage stamps affixed.
g. Ensure each envelope has a completed PS Form 3817 Certificate of Mailing for
the USPS to endorse. (Some USPS will not accept these if you are using Return
Receipt Postcards.)
h. Ensure each envelope contains a complete copy of the CA, attachments, and “A”.
i. Ensure each envelope has paper clipped under the flap: the Proof of Service and
the three copies of appropriate Notice for the Notary to sign, stamp and seal (one
for respondent, one for you and one for the notary)
j. Ensure each envelope flap has a sticky-note indicating the date you anticipate the
Notary will sign and mail the documents.
k. Prepare the two original Notary Notes documents (one for you and one for the
Notary) which recaps the Notary’s findings.
2 Create a “Mailing Date List” showing each mailing date with the name of each Notice and
each recipient for the Notary. Keep a copy for your records.
3. Include a 9”x12” Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE) for the Notary to return to you
all of your documents the Notary signed, sealed and stamped and the correlating Certificates
of Mailing, green postcards, and receipts, with the notary’s notes.

If you are mailing to more than one person of the same creditor, complete a PS Form 3877. You
may list multiple recipients at the same creditor company, but do not mix creditor companies on
the same Form 3877. Be sure to include completed Forms 3877 for the Notary.
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18 THE NOTARY’S PROTEST FILE 
The Notary must maintain a Protest file which must contain the: 
1. original of your affidavit requesting the protest with the following enclosures: 
A. Copy of the CA with presentments and bill of exchange; 
B. Copy of the “A”; 
C. Copy of Proof of Service; 
D. Copies of the green return receipt postcards. 
2. original Notary’s Notes document which recaps the Notary’s findings. 
3. duplicate original, signed and sealed, Notice of Dishonor with the green return receipt 
and postcard the Notary mailed, and an original sealed, stamped Proof of Service; 
4. duplicate original, signed and sealed, Second Notice of Dishonor with the green return 
receipt and postcard the Notary mailed, and an original sealed, stamped Proof of 
Service; 
5. duplicate original Certificate of Dishonor with the green card to you. 
6. copy of the attachment to the Notary Notes stating the terms of the agreement. 
7. calendar of events noting the applicable dates (past and future). 
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19 RECAP 
Send the package to the Notary, which must contain the following: 
a. Your Affidavit requesting the Notary Perform the Protest. 
b. Two original Notice of Dishonor and Certificate of Service – dated 21 days 
after the CA/A (with one full copy of the CA/A, attachments, bill of exchange), 
which the Notary signs, stamps, seals, and mails one set to respondent with a 
mailing certificate. 
i. If the Notary receives a response to the Notice of Dishonor, the Notary is 
to fax it immediately to you.  The response may necessitate that you reply 
with a different Notice of Protest to incorporate information relative to the 
response.  Ask the Notary to wait before mailing anything else as this may 
change the dates and contents of your subsequent notices. 
c. Two original Second Notice of Dishonor and Certificate of Service- dated 10 
days after the Notice of Dishonor (with one full copy of the CA/A, attachments, 
bill of exchange), which the Notary signs stamps, seals, and mails one set to 
respondent with a mailing certificate. 
i. If the Notary receives a response to the Protest Notice, the Notary is to fax 
it immediately to you.  The response may necessitate that you reply with a 
different Notice of Protest to incorporate information relative to the 
response.  Ask the Notary to wait before mailing anything else as this may 
change the dates and contents of your subsequent notices. 
d. Three original Certificate of Dishonor and Certificate of Service - dated at 
least 10 days after the Second Notice of Dishonor (with CA/A, attachments, 
BoE), which the Notary signs, stamps, seals, and mails to you with duplicate 
originals of all prior documents and the Notary Notes and Affidavit.  
e. Two original Notary Notes documents (one for you and one for the Notary) 
which recaps the Notary’s findings. 
f. SASE for the Notary to send you the copies of the notarized Notices and Proofs 
of service, Certificates of Mailing, green cards and Notary Notes. 
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20. LETTERS DURING THE PROCESS
You must respond to every written document you receive, including subsequent statements
from creditors, within 72 hours (three days, per contract law) or include the phrase: “this is my
timely response to your..” You may send your acknowledgement of non-responsive letters by
regular mail (with USPS Certificate of Mailing) and say something like:
Thank you for your 1/14/03 letter; however, it is non-responsive to
my 1/2/03 conditional acceptance of your offer. I look forward to
you verifying your claims as requested and speedy resolution of
this matter.
Sincerely, with all rights reserved.
JANE DOE
By: Jane Doe, Secured party
Jane Doe

If you receive a bill or statement, you must also reply but may do so by simplying printing
the following text, in red ink, directly on the “offer”. Be sure to sign in red ink and mail the
original by standard mail. Make a photocopy, after you have signed it, for your files.

DATE received, accepted and returned for assessed value, closure and
settlement of this accounting. The debt has been discharged in full. Current
Account Balance is Zero. Send me the voucher. You are using my exemption.
By: _______________________________EIN 123456789

If your account is sold to a “debt collector”, remember that they, too, must be able to validate
their claim. The “DC-“ series of letters will help you get rid of them. Also, keep the following
in mind:
There is a maxim of law and you should be able to find it in every state's
maxim of jurisprudence. California’s is found at CC 3515. Consent as
defense - he who consents to an act is not wronged by it. Latin: Scientia et
volunti non fit injuria - A wrong is not done to one who knows and wills
it.
Any third party debt collector who purchases a debt knowingly places themselves in harm’s
way in order to receive a potential benefit, cannot, by such act, validate a right of action to file or
initiate a cause of action in a court of law of competent jurisidiction. It simply cannot happen.
Example: An attempt to commit an injury upon the person of another, if made with his
consent, will not constitute an assault. Thus, no one can maintain an action for a wrong, where
he has consented to the act which occasioned his loss. Brown (Edward) & Sons v. San
Francisco, (1950) 36 C2d 53, 196 P2d 231.
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21. CREDIT REPORTING AGENCIES
• When you begin this process, it is best to cut up or shred and return your credit cards with
a letter that states you are voluntarily closing the account. Mail it certiied with a proof of
service that specifies what is in the envelope. Keep a copy of your letter for your records.
• Before you send your CA/A, obtain a copy of your credit report. If you are married, you
must obtain separate reports for each of you, and individually you must each send
correspondence to the CRA’s.
• Once you have received your credit report, go through every detail and look for any
minor inaccuracy. Then begin your written dialogue with the CRA’s concurrently with
sending your CA/A. This procedure will make it much easier, at the conclusion of the
notarial protest, to demand removal of adverse entries by CRA’s of the accounts you
have settled. Below are general guidelines for CRA interaction.
Step One - Obtain Your Credit Report
Ordering from the Credit Bureaus Directly: You can order by mail, over the Internet, or possibly
by phone.
The FCRA states that you are entitled to receive a credit report disclosure directly from the
consumer credit reporting agency for FREE if:
• You certify in writing that you are unemployed and intend to apply for employment
within 60 days.
• You are receiving public welfare assistance.
• You have reason to believe your consumer file contains inaccurate information due to
fraud.
• You have been denied credit, insurance, or employment within the past 60 days
If any of the above applies to you then you may order directly from the credit reporting
companies. You should receive your reports in 3 to 4 weeks. Oftentimes you will receive a
letter asking for more information. To avoid this delay, include all of your relevant information.

1. Full Name. Be sure to note if you are a JR or SR
2. Birth Date
3. Social Security Number and a Photocopy of your Social
Security card.
4. Your current address
5. Your Previous addresses for the last five years.
6. Drivers License Photo Copy with Current address on it (or other
proof of address).

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Contact Information for National Credit Agencies
Experian Transunion Equifax
http://www.experian.com/ http://www.transunion.com/ http://www.equifax.com/
(888) 397-3742 (800) 888-4213 (800) 997-2493

Step Two – Analyze Your Credit Report

If the credit report contains one or more of these indicators, then the report is negative. If the listing
contains none of these indicators, then the listing is positive.

Experian Trans Union Equifax

Any item marked with
dashes on either side of
the number (example
“--2--).

Any inquiry

ANY ITEM
LISTED IN THE
“ADVERSE”
SECTION OF THE
REPORT. WATCH
FOR ANY
INFORMATION
WITH A “>”
SYMBOL NEXT
TO IT.
Any inquiry

Any item rated any higher than I1, M1, or R1 (such as an R2
or I9). Any item proceeded by a ">>>" icon.

Any item listed as a repossession, foreclosure, profit and loss
write off, charge off, paid profit and loss write-off, paid
charge off, settled, settled for less than full balance, or
included in bankruptcy.

Any collection account whether paid or not.

Any court account including a lien, judgment, bankruptcy
chapters 11, 7, or 13, divorce, satisfied lien, or satisfied
judgment.

Any item showing one or more thirty, sixty, or ninety-day
late payments under the body of the listing.

Any inquiry

Once you’ve highlighted all negative items on your credit report,
begin looking for the inaccuracies and inconsistencies and
highlight them with a pink or orange highlighter.
Inaccuracies to look for:
• Account not yours
• Account number wrong
• Date of account wrong
• Status wrong
• Balance wrong
• Late pay history wrong
• Account type wrong
Inconsistencies to look for:
• More late pays than months
reviewed
• Item in BK but no BK listed
• Duplicate accounts
• Never lived in area of court record
• Account shows older than possible
• Past addresses wrong
• Personal information wrong

An inaccuracy is something that you know is not true, such as a
listing that doesn't belong to you or an incorrect balance. An
inconsistency is when the same information on the credit report
contradicts itself, such as showing 12 late payment notations
when the report shows only 4 months reviewed. You can use
these inaccuracies and inconsistencies to lend credibility to your
challenge.

If you find that a substantial amount of the negative credit on
your credit report does not belong to you, you may wish to
prepare a lawsuit against the credit bureaus. You will not have
an adequate cause of action against the credit bureaus unless you
attempt to correct the mistakes with them and they willfully or
negligently mishandle your case. The odds of the credit bureaus
negligently mishandling your case are excellent, so you would
be wise to proceed with a lawsuit in mind.
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Document every correspondence and response in a "diary" or spread-sheet or calendar type book. If your
recordation is complete and accurate, it is usually considered an acceptable court document. Be sure to
copy and file everything and send all of your correspondence certified mail, return receipt requested.

Step Three – Organize your Notice
Review your credit report. Verify all aspects of its accuracy, including your:
1. Na me
2. Delivery address
3. Contact phone number
4. Social security number
5. Date of birth
6. Form er addresses
7. AKAs (also known as)
8. Em ployer
9. All accounts:
A. account number
B. type of account (i.e., revolving, line of credit, mortgage)
C. balance and most owed
D. open and closed dates and by whom
E. payment status (i.e., as agreed, never late, etc.)
F. credit limit
G. individual or joint account status
H. disputed status
I. Closed accounts
Step Four – Send your first Notice
As soon as you have verified all information on the report, for each individual person (you
cannot notify CRAs in a single letter for joint accounts; it must be done individually), in separate
letters mailed in separate envelopes, send the appropriate CRA-1 letter.
The first letter, which is friendly and just to tell them you’ve reviewed your report may, address
various errors in the report such as misspellings and closed accounts and wrong addresses. All
Notices to inform them to delete an account or it is in dispute MUST BE SENT SEPARATELY
FOR EACH CREDITOR ACCOUNT
CERTIFIED MAIL TO EACH AGENCY WHERE CORRECTIONS ARE TO BE MADE.
Request proof that the corrections have been made. The agencies have 30 days under federal
law to make any required changes.
You also have the choice to notify the CRAs that your information is private and they are to
place a Security Freeze on your credit information. This will prohibit them from disclosing your
information when they receive a simple inquiry. Be advised that you must notify them if you
want information released when you want to apply for credit or employment.
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California Civil Code, also found in
www.witkin.com/pages/recent_dev_pages/ DEVELOPMENTS2002.htm:
Security Alerts: Civil Code Section 1785.11.1. Start date: July 1, 2002
A consumer may request the placement of a security alert on his or her credit
report. Cre dit Reporting Agencies (CRA) must notify those requesting
information of the existe nce of the alert. A "Security alert" t ypically states the
consumer wants to be notified prior to the exten sion of credit. The consumer
may customize the language of the alert includ ing the addition of a ph one
number(s) where he or she may be contacted regarding the alert.
Security Freezes: Civil Code Section 1785.11.2 Start date: January 1, 2003
A consumer may elect to place a security freeze on his or her credit report by
making a request in writing to a consumer credit reporting agency (CRA).
"Security freeze" means a notice p laced in a consumer's credit report, at the
request of t he consumer and subje ct to certain exceptions, that prohibits the
CRA from releasing the consumer's credi t re port or any inf ormation from it
without the express authorization of the consumer.
Items includ ed in this f reeze inclu de: name, address, bir thdate, SSN and
credit info. A freeze may always be lifted te mporarily for the exten sion of
credit and a unique personal ide ntification number or p assword will be
provided to the consumer for that p urpose. The CRAs may charge a slight,
reasonable fee for this service for non-victims. Certain groups will be allowed
access without removing the freeze (employment, current credit issuer s with
established accounts, etc.) Consumers should be aware that a security
freeze or security alert will affect their ability to be granted instant credit and
will delay th e extension of credit until the request is conf irmed. It should not
affect credit scores or prohibit the extension of credit to the true consumer.
Step Five – Follow-Up
AFTER SENDING THE CRA-1 LETTERS, if appropriate, send a CA/NA and then follow up to
dispute the accounts and inform the credit reporting agencies that they are not to provide any
inaccurate information which may impair your commercial ability.
After you receive your Certificate of Dishonor from the Notary, SEND VIA CERTIFIED MAIL
CRA-3.
CR-4 and -5 are provided as sample responses should the CRA’s not comply with the contract.
Step Six – Enforcement
After you receive your Certificates of Dishonor and Non-Performance or Breach of Contract and
have billed the “Respondent” the amounts agreed to in the Conditional Acceptance self-
executing contract by sending a minimum of three statements/bills at least ten days apart, if the
CRAs still have not complied, then you have to make a decision as to whether or not you want to
prosecute both the credit reporting agencies and the creditor. If the CRA’s are continuing to
ignore your evidence and take the verbal reporting of the creditor, follow up with letters to the
Federal Enforcement Agencies, your state Attorney General, and local consumer advocates. You
may wish to complete the process with notarial protest on the CRA’s so that you can move it to
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22. AFTER THE NOTARY PROTEST 
 There is one other document you should request from the Notary after the protest, and that is 
a printout from the Secretary of State's Office web site where the notary is commissioned which 
shows that the Notary is in good stand with a current commission.  There may be a nominal fee 
for accessing the web site.  You can also look for this information on your own.  This is a 
preventative measure so that if you should come to a circumstance where the lender questions 
whether or not a notary with a proper commission performed the protest, you already have the 
apostilles in your "bag of evidence" to prove it was a viable notarial protest. 
 
Perfecting the Process 
 Now that you have the original Certificate of Dishonor and Non-Response with Notary Notes  
from the Notary, if you wish, you can set the stage to enforce the contract they entered into with 
you.  You have 90 days1 in which to send three bills for the contractual amounts in your CA.  
The billing must be at least 10 days apart.  Itemize the amounts.  If they are continuing to send 
you “offers” or if a bill collector is still trying to “collect” on the account which has already been 
settled, you may wish to file a complaint with your local Attorney General and the appropriate 
Federal agencies, depending on whether it is against a credit card company or a credit reporting 
agency.   
 You have three avenues available to you:   
1) The private administrative tribunal - The private administrative tribunal consists of at 
least three independent judges (private citizens with knowledge of notarial protest) 
review your documents and verify that you have followed all the procedural 
requirements.  The private judges can then issue Findings of Fact and you now have a 
judicial finding; or  
2) Getting Notarial Judicial Review – you must enter the documents for a superior court 
judge in your county, in his judicial capacity and not his “ministerial” capacity, to review 
the procedure, the time of the notices and your service of the notices by you and the 
notary, so that you can obtain a court order for enforcement and damages.  You will need 
a local notary’s certificate if you used an out-of-state notary for the process2.  The local 
notary will simply review the process and issue a certificate stating that the process was 
proper.  After the judicial review and findings of fact, then you can obtain a Writ of 
Execution and obtain a “keeper” (marshal or sheriff) on their “toys” to either take them 
away for the amount of the court order or sell them at public auction; or 
                                                 
1 If you wait longer than 90 days to do your billing, simply get a current Certificate of Dishonor from the Notary. 
 
2 We know that you may have difficulty finding a “res” state notary to review the documents if you had to use an 
out-of-state notary to perform the protest.  There is no time limit on when you get a "res" state notary to review the 
process.  We are accumulating the names, emails and phone numbers of notaries nationwide who are familiar with 
notarial protest.  If you can add to the list, please forward the information to us to add to the “Notary List” in the 
files. 
 
 
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3) Obtain Judicial Review from the Appropriate Court. Depending on the “citizenship” or
“res” of both you and the alleged lender, you can file an action for Judicial Review with
the your state court, Federal District Court or the Federal Court of Claims. If the “res” of
both you and the lender is in your state, you can file in your state court. If the lender is a
foreign corporation, you can file at Federal District Court. You also have the option of
The Federal Court of Claims, where “foreign judgments” are enforced. The private side
is “foreign” to the public side. Your conditional acceptance and the notary protest was
private. Remember that the notary process is outside the box so it is foreign to the
maritime/admiralty courts. It is no different than having a judgment in France and trying
to enforce here…it has to go thru the Federal Court of Claims for foreign judgments.
All three processes do not review the substance of the documents, but only weigh the
procedure – the form – whether or not you and the notary met the notice and time requirements,
etc. and not the components of the contract. You cannot argue or testify or address whether or
not the instrument you offer in exchange was valid, whether the debt was valid or allow any
topic other than the judicial review of the notarial protest to be addressed in any of the three
processes. We will be adding forms for these processes soon.
After you have your court order, you may also wish to file a UCC-1 with your local county
recorder with the entire packet attached, including your bill of exchange. And don’t forget about
those credit reporting companies, they must adhere to the Fair Credit Reporting Act or you can
turn them in for criminal prosecution by the Federal Trade Commission. Now that you have a
contract, if you choose to force an involuntary bankruptcy to collect, it’s up to you!

P.S. - After you receive your Certificates of Dishonor and Non-Performance or Breach of
Contract, you should bill the “Respondent” the amounts agreed to in the Conditional Acceptance
self-executing contract. Send a minimum of three statements/bills. The case can now be filed in
the appropriate court for enforcement of the judgment made of the evidence by the Notary.

If you did the Debt Validation Proce ss with Notarial Protest and they didn' t
present the Origina l Note, the FTC has s hown that this is a False and Deceptive
Practice. The OCC and Office of Thrift Sup ervision ha ve sim ilar cite s with
Opinions and Case Law which def ines this sort of activity. It' ll take some time to
pull the cases up on line, but you' ll find that you can still sue them and cost them
their license.
You might want to obtain Richard Cornforth's materials on Voiding Judgm ents.
It's really an indepth look at the evil of the "Equity Court System." It's "Equal" all
right but it's "More Equal" for the criminal Bankers!

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23.  THE LAW 
NOTARY & DISHONOR CASES 
ANNVILLE NAT. BANK V. KETTERING,  106 Pa. 531 Am. Rep. 536 
BOSKE v. COMINGORE, 177 US 459, 44 L. Ed. 846, 20 S. Ct. 701 (1900) 
CHENEY v. LIBBY, 134 US 68, 33 L. Ed. 818, 10 S. Ct. 498 (1890) 
DE LIMA v BIDWELL, 182 US 1, 45 L. Ed. 1041, 21 S. Ct. 743 (1901) 
DENNISTOUN v. STEWART, 17 How. 607, 15 L. Ed. 228 
HITZ v. JENKS; SAME v. SAME, 123 US 297, 31 L. Ed. 156, 8 S. Ct. 143 (1887) 
MAURY v. WINLOCK & TOLEDO, 148 Wash. 572, 269 p. 815, 817 
PIEDMONT CAROLINA RY. CO. v. SHAW, CCANC, 223 F. 973, 977 
TOWNSEND v. LORAIN BANK, 2 Ohio St. 345 
 
USURY 
BENEFICIAL NAT'L BANK v. ANDERSON, No. 02-306 (U.S.S.C. June 02, 2003) - An action 
filed in state court, to recover damages from a national bank for allegedly charging excessive 
interest in violation of both the "common law usury doctrine" and an Alabama usury statute, 
arose only under federal law and could therefore be removed under 28 U.S.C. section 1441. 
To read the full text of this opinion, go to: http://laws.lp.findlaw.com/us/000/02306.html 
 
Statutes regarding Notarial Protest: 
original 1909 Notary docs: www.nwflnotary.bizland.com/fpc.htm 
 
http://www.witkin.com/pages/recent_dev_pages/see DEVELOPMENTS2002 
 
http://www.notarypubliclaw.com/ 
 
California:   http://www.ss.ca.gov/business/notary/notary_2003hdbk.htm#ucc  and 
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/calawquery?codesection=com&codebody=Notary&hits=20 
 
Florida: Florida Statutes:  
http://www.flsenate.gov/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=Ch0673/titl067
3.htm&StatuteYear=2002&Title=%2D%3E2002%2D%3EChapter%20673 
Kentucky:  http://www.lrc.state.ky.us/KRS/423-00/CHAPTER.HTM 
New York: 
http://www.notarypubliclaw.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=NPL&
Product_Code=50-4 
Texas:  http://nwflnotary.bizland.com/texas%20notary%20protest%201902.pdf 
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FROM THE ARIZONA STATUTES ARTICLE 5. DISHONOR
Each State has adopted the Uniform Commercial Code. Many have correlating numbers with the UCC.
Some states have reword ed the adopt ed versions, so be sure to compare yo ur State citations with the
UCC and refer to the State or UCC where applicable.
§ 47-3501. Presentment
A. "Presentment" means a demand made by or on behalf of a person entitled to enforce an instrument:
1. To p ay the instrument made to the dr awee or a party obliged to pay the instrument or, in the case of a note or accepted
draft payable at a bank, to the bank; or
2. To accept a draft made to the drawee.
B. The following rules are subject to chapter 4 of this title, agreement of the parties, and clearing house rules and the like:
1. Presentment:
(a) May be made at the place of payment of the instrument and must be made at the place of pay ment if the instrument
is payable at a bank in the United States;
(b) May be made by any commercially reasonable means, including an oral, written or electronic communication;
(c) Is effective when the dem and for pa yment or acceptance is received by the person to whom presentment is made;
and
(d) Is effective if made to any one of two or more makers, acceptors, drawees or other payors.
2. Upon demand of the person to whom presentment is made, the person making presentment must:
(a) Exhibit the instrument;
(b) Give reasonable iden tification and, if prese ntment is made on behalf of an other p erson, r easonable evid ence of
authority to do so; and
(c) Sign a receipt on the instrument for any payment made or surrender the instrument if full payment is made.
3. Without dishonoring the instrument, the party to whom presentment is made may:
(a) Return the instrument for lack of a necessary indorsement; or
(b) Refus e pa yment or ac ceptance for f ailure of the pres entment to comply with the terms of the instrum ent, an
agreement of the parties or other applicable law or rule.
4. The party to whom presentment is ma de may treat presentm ent as occurring on the next business day after the day of
presentment if the party to whom presentment is made has established a cu toff hour not earlier than 2:00 p.m. f or the
receipt and processing of instruments presented for pay ment or acceptance and presentment is made after th e cut-off
hour.
§ 47-3502. Dishonor
A. Dishonor of a note is governed by the following rules:
1. If the note is payable on demand, the note is dishonored if presentment is duly made to the maker and the note is not paid
on the day of presentment.
2. If the note is not pay able on demand and is pay able at or through a bank or the terms of the note require presen tment, the
note is dishonored if presentment is dul y made and the note is not paid on the day it becomes pay able or the d ay of
presentment, whichever is later.
3. If the note is not pay able on demand and paragraph 2 of this subsection does not a pply, the note is dishonored if it is not
paid on the day it becomes payable.
B. Dishonor of an unaccepted draft other than a documentary draft is governed by the following rules:
1. If a check is duly presented for payment to the payor bank otherwise th an for immediate payment over the counter, th e
check is dishon ored if the payor ba nk makes timely return of the check or sends timely no tice of dishonor or
nonpayment under section 47-43 01 or 47-4302 o r becomes accountable for the a mount of the check under sec tion 47-
4302.
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2. If a draf t is payable on demand and par agraph 1 of this subs ection does not apply, the draft is dishonored if p resentment
for payment is duly made to the drawee and the draft is not paid on the day of presentment.
3. If a draft is payable on a date stated in the draft, the draft is dishonored if:
(a) Presentment for payment is duly made to the drawee and payment is not made on the day the draft becomes payable
or the day of presentment, whichever is later; or
(b) Presentment for acceptance is duly made before the day the draft becomes payable and the draf t is not accepted on
the day of presentment.
4. If a draft is p ayable on elaps e of a p eriod of time af ter sight or acceptance, the draft is dishonored if pr esentment for
acceptance is duly made and the draft is not accepted on the day of presentment.
C. Dishonor of an unaccepted documentary draft occurs according to the rules stated in subse ction B, pa ragraphs 2, 3 and 4 of
this section, except that pay ment or acceptance may be delay ed without dishonor until no later t han the close of the third
business day of the drawee following the day on which payment or acceptance is required by those paragraphs.
D. Dishonor of an accepted draft is governed by the following rules:
1. If the draft is payable on demand, the draft is dishonored if presentment for payment is duly made to the acceptor and the
draft is not paid on the day of presentment.
2. If the draft is not payable on demand, the draft is dishonored if presentment for payment is duly made to the acceptor and
payment is not made on the day it becomes payable or the day of presentment, whichever is later.
E. In an y case in which pr esentment is otherwise requir ed fo r dishonor under this section and presentment is excused und er
section 47-3504, dishonor occurs without presentment if the instrument is not duly accepted or paid.
F. If a dr aft is d ishonored because timely acceptance of th e draft was not made and the person entitled to demand acceptance
consents to a late acceptance, from the time of acceptance the draft is treated as never having been dishonored.
§ 47-3503. Notice of dishonor
A. The obligation of an indorser stated in section 47-3415, subsection A and the obligation of a drawer stated in section 47-3414,
subsection D may not be enforced unless:
1. The indorser or drawer is given notice of dishonor of the instrument complying with this section; or
2. Notice of dishonor is excused under section 47-3504, subsection B.
B. Notice of dis honor may be g iven by any person, may be giv en by any commercially reasonable means, including an oral,
written or e lectronic com munication, and is suffici ent if i t re asonably i dentifies the instrum ent and indic ates that the
instrument has been dishonored or has not been paid or accepte d. Return of an in strument given to a bank for collection i s
sufficient notice of dishonor.
C. Subject to section 47-3504, subsection C, with respect to an instrument tak en for collection by a collecting bank, notice of
dishonor must be giv en by the bank before midnight of the next banking day following the banking day on which the bank
receives notice of dishonor of the instrument o r b y any ot her person within th irty day s fo llowing the d ay on which the
person receives notice of dishonor. With respect to any other instrument, notice of dishonor must be given within thirty days
following the day on which dishonor occurs.
§ 47-3504. Excused presentment and notice of dishonor
A. Presentment for payment or acceptance of an instrument is excused if:
1. The person entitled to present the instrument cannot with reasonable diligence make presentment;
2. The maker or acceptor has repudiated an obligation to pay the instrument or is dead or in insolvency proceedings;
3. By the terms of the instrument presentment is not necessary to enforce the obligation of indorsers or the drawer;
4. The drawer or indorser whose obligation is being enforced has waived presentment or otherwise has no r eason to expect
or right to require that the instrument be paid or accepted; or
5. The drawer instructed the drawee not to pay or accept the draft or the drawee was not obligated to the drawer to pay the
draft.
B. Notice of dishonor is excused if by the terms of the instrument notice of dishonor is not necessar y to enforce the obligation of
a par ty to pay the instrument o r the party who se oblig ation is being enforced waived notice of dishonor. A waiver of
presentment is also a waiver of notice of dishonor.
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C. Delay in giving notice of dishonor is excused if the delay was caused b y cir cumstances beyond the control of the person
giving th e noti ce and the p erson giving th e not ice exercised r easonable d iligence a fter the cause of the d elay ceased to
operate.
§ 47-3505. Evidence of dishonor (UCC 3-505)
A. The following are admissible as evidence and create a presumption of dishonor and of any notice of dishonor stated:
1. A document regular in form as provided in subsection B which purports to be a protest;
2. A purported s tamp or writing of the drawe e, payor bank or pr esenting bank o n or accom panying the ins trument stating
that acceptance or payment has been refused unless reasons for the refusal are stated and the reasons are not consistent
with dishonor; and
3. A book or r ecord of the dr awee, p ayor bank or collecting bank, kept in the usual cour se of business which shows
dishonor, even if there is no evidence of who made the entry.
B. A protest is a certificate of dishonor made by a United States consul or vice consul, a notary public or other person authorized
to administer oaths b y the law o f the place wher e dishonor occurs. It may be made upon info rmation satisfactory to that
person. Th e pro test m ust id entify the instrum ent and certify either th at p resentment h as be en m ade or , if no t m ade, th e
reason why it was not made, and that th e instrument has b een dishonored by non-acceptance or nonpayment. The protest
may also certify that notice of dishonor has been given to some or all parties.
ARTICLE 6. DISCHARGE AND PAYMENT
§ 47-3601. Discharge and effect of discharge
A. The obligation of a party to pay the instrument is discharged as stated in this chapter or by an act or agreement with the party
which would discharge an obligation to pay money under a simple contract.
B. Discharg e of the oblig ation of a p arty is no t eff ective ag ainst a p erson acq uiring r ights of a hold er in due course of th e
instrument without notice of the discharge.
§ 47-3602. Payment
A. Subject to subsection B of this section, an instrument is paid to the extent payment is made by or on behalf of a party obliged
to pay the instrument and to a person entitled to enforce the instrument. To the extent of the payment, th e obligation of the
party obliged to pay the instrument is discharged even though payment is made with knowledge of a claim to the instrument
under section 47-3306 by another person.
B. The obligation of a party to pay the instrument is not discharged under subsection A of this section if:
1. A claim to the instrument under section 47-3306 is enforceable against the party receiving payment and:
(a) Payment is made with knowledge by the payor that payment is prohibited by injunction or similar process of a court
of competent jurisdiction; or
(b) In the case of an instrument other than a cashier's check, teller's check or certified check, the party making payment
accepted, from the person having a cla im to the instrument, indemnity against loss resulting from refusal to pa y
the person entitled to enforce the instrument; or
2. The person making payment knows that th e instrument is a stolen instrument and pay s a person it knows is in wrongful
possession of the instrument.
§ 47-3603. Tender of payment
A. If tender of payment of an obligation to pay an instrument is made to a person entitled to enforce the instrument, the effect of
tender is governed by principles of law applicable to tender of payment under a simple contract.
B. If tender of payment of an obligation to pay an instrument is made to a person entitled to enforce the instrument and the tender
is refused, there is discharge, to the extent of the amount of the tender, of the obligation of an indorser or accommodation
party having a right of recourse with respect to the obligation to which the tender relates.
C. If tender of payment of an amount due on an instrument is made to a person entitled to enforce the instrument, the obligation
of the obligor to pay interest after the due date on the amount tendered is discharged. If presentment is required with respect
to an instrument and the ob ligor is able and ready to pay on the due date at every place of payment stated in the instrument,
the obligor is deemed to have made tender of payment on the due date to the person entitled to enforce the instrument.
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§ 47-3604. Discharge by cancellation or renunciation
A. A person entitled to enfor ce an instrument, with or without co nsideration, may discharge the o bligation of a part y to pay the
instrument:
1. By an intentional voluntary act, such as surrender of the instrument to the pa rty, destruction, mutilation or cancellation of
the instrument, cancellation or striking out of the party's signature or the addition of words to the instrument indicating
discharge; or
2. By agreeing not to sue or otherwise renouncing rights against the party by a signed writing.
B. Cancellation or striking out of an indorsement pursuant to subsection A does not affe ct the status and rights of a party derived
from the indorsement.
§ 47-3605. Discharge of indorsers and accommodation parties
A. In this section, the term "indorser" includes a drawer having the obligation described in section 47-3414, subsection D.
B. Discharge, u nder section 47- 3604, of the obligation of a party to pay an instrument does not discharge the obligation of an
indorser or accommodation party having a right of recourse against the discharged party.
C. If a person entitl ed to enforce an instrum ent agrees, with or without consideration , to an ext ension of the due date of the
obligation of a part y to pa y the instrument, the e xtension discharges an indorser or accom modation party having a right of
recourse against the party whose obligation is extended to the extent th e indorser or accommod ation party proves that th e
extension caused loss to the indorser or accommodation party with respect to the right of recourse.
D. If a person entitled to enforce an instrument agrees, with or without consideration, to a material modification of the obligation
of a party oth er than an ex tension of the d ue date, the modification d ischarges th e obligation of an indorser or
accommodation part y having a right of r ecourse aga inst the person whos e o bligation is m odified to the e xtent the
modification causes loss to the in dorser or accommodation party with respect to the right of recourse. The loss suffered b y
the indorser or accommodation party as a result of the modification is equal to the amount of the right of recourse unless the
person enforcin g the instrumen t proves that n o loss was cau sed b y th e modification or that th e loss caus ed b y the
modification was an amount less than the amount of the right of recourse.
E. If the obligation of a p arty to pay an instrument is secured by an interest in collateral and a person entitled to enforce the
instrument impairs the value of the interest in collateral, the obligation of an indorser or accommodation party having a right
of recourse against the obligor is discharged to the extent of the impairment. The value of an interest in collateral is impaired
to the ex tent the valu e of the interest is reduced to an amount less than th e amount of th e right of r ecourse of the party
asserting discharge or the redu ction in value of the interest causes an increase in the amount b y which the amou nt of th e
right of recourse exceeds the value of the interest. The burden of proving impairment is on the party asserting discharge.
F. If the obligation of a party is secured by an interest in collateral not provided by an accommodation party and a person entitled
to enforc e the instrument im pairs the valu e of the int erest in collateral, th e ob ligation of an y party who is joi ntly and
severally liable with respect to the secured obligation is discharged to th e extent the impairment causes the party asserting
discharge to pay more th an th at par ty w ould have been oblig ed to p ay, taking into accoun t rights of contribution, if
impairment had not occurred . If the party asserting discha rge is an accom modation party not entitled to d ischarge under
subsection E of this section, the party is deemed to have a right to contribution based on joint and several liability rather than
a right to reimbursement. The burden of proving impairment is on the party asserting discharge.
G. Under subsection E or F of this section, impairing value of an interest in collateral includes:
1. Failure to obtain or maintain perfection or recordation of the interest in collateral;
2. Release of collateral without substitution of collateral of equal value;
3. Failure to perform a duty to preserve the value of collateral owed, under chapter 9 of this title or other law, to a debtor or
surety or other person secondarily liable; or
4. Failure to comply with applicable law in disposing of collateral.
H. An accommodation party is not discharged under subsection C, D or E of this section unless the person entitled to enforce the
instrument knows of the accommodation or h as notice under section 47-3419, subsection C that the instrument was signed
for accommodation.
I. A party is not discharged under this section if:
1. The party asserting discharge consents to the event or conduct that is the basis of the discharge; or
2. The instrument or a separate agreement of the party provid es for waiver of discharge under this section either
specifically or by gener al lang uage i ndicating that parties waiv e defenses based on surety ship or impairment of
collateral.
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USC 
 
18 USC Section 1341 - Frauds and swindles  
Whoever, having devised or intending to devise any scheme or artifice to defraud, or for obtaining money 
or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, or to sell, dispose of, 
loan, exchange, alter, give away, distribute, supply, or furnish or procure for unlawful use any counterfeit 
or spurious coin, obligation, security, or other article, or anything represented to be or intimated or held 
out to be such counterfeit or spurious article, for the purpose of executing such scheme or artifice or 
attempting so to do, places in any post office or authorized depository for mail matter, any matter or thing 
whatever to be sent or delivered by the Postal Service, or deposits or causes to be deposited any matter or 
thing whatever to be sent or delivered by any private or commercial interstate carrier, or takes or receives 
therefrom, any such matter or thing, or knowingly causes to be delivered by mail or such carrier 
according to the direction thereon, or at the place at which it is directed to be delivered by the person to 
whom it is addressed, any such matter or thing, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 
five years, or both. If the violation affects a financial institution, such person shall be fined not more than 
$1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both. 
 
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FDCPA 
 
 
THE FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT 
As amended by Public Law 104-208, 110 Stat. 3009 (Sept. 30, 1996) 
 
§ 805. Communication in connection with debt collection [15 USC 1692c] 
 
(a) COMMUNICATION WITH THE CONSUMER GENERALLY. Without the prior consent of the 
consumer given directly to the debt collector or the express permission of a court of competent 
jurisdiction, a debt collector may not communicate with a consumer in connection with the collection of 
any debt --  
(1) at any unusual time or place or a time or place known or which should be known to be 
inconvenient to the consumer. In the absence of knowledge of circumstances to the contrary, a 
debt collector shall assume that the convenient time for communicating with a consumer is after 8 
o'clock antimeridian and before 9 o'clock postmeridian, local time at the consumer's location;  
(2) if the debt collector knows the consumer is represented by an attorney with respect to such 
debt and has knowledge of, or can readily ascertain, such attorney's name and address, unless the 
attorney fails to respond within a reasonable period of time to a communication from the debt 
collector or unless the attorney consents to direct communication with the consumer; or  
(3) at the consumer's place of employment if the debt collector knows or has reason to know that 
the consumer's employer prohibits the consumer from receiving such communication.  
 
(b) COMMUNICATION WITH THIRD PARTIES. Except as provided in section 804, without the prior 
consent of the consumer given directly to the debt collector, or the express permission of a court of 
competent jurisdiction, or as reasonably necessary to effectuate a post-judgment judicial remedy, a debt 
collector may not communicate, in connection with the collection of any debt, with any person other than 
a consumer, his attorney, a consumer reporting agency if otherwise permitted by law, the creditor, the 
attorney of the creditor, or the attorney of the debt collector.  
 
(c) CEASING COMMUNICATION. If a consumer notifies a debt collector in writing that the consumer 
refuses to pay a debt or that the consumer wishes the debt collector to cease further communication with 
the consumer, the debt collector shall not communicate further with the consumer with respect to such 
debt, except --  
(1) to advise the consumer that the debt collector's further efforts are being terminated;  
(2) to notify the consumer that the debt collector or creditor may invoke specified remedies which 
are ordinarily invoked by such debt collector or creditor; or  
(3) where applicable, to notify the consumer that the debt collector or creditor intends to invoke a 
specified remedy.  
If such notice from the consumer is made by mail, notification shall be complete upon receipt.  
 
(d) For the purpose of this section, the term "consumer" includes the consumer's spouse, parent (if the 
consumer is a minor), guardian, executor, or administrator.  
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TITLE 15 > CHAPTER 41 > SUBCHAPTER V > Sec. 1692g. - Validation of debts  
(a) Notice of debt; contents - Within five days after the initial communication with a consumer in 
connection with the collection of any debt, a debt collector shall, unless the following information is 
contained in the initial communication or the consumer has paid the debt, send the consumer a written 
notice containing -  
(1) the amount of the debt;  
(2) the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed;  
(3) a statement that unless the consumer, within thirty days after receipt of the notice, disputes the 
validity of the debt, or any portion thereof, the debt will be assumed to be valid by the debt 
collector;  
(4) a statement that if the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the thirty-day period 
that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, the debt collector will obtain verification of the 
debt or a copy of a judgment against the consumer and a copy of such verification or judgment 
will be mailed to the consumer by the debt collector; and  
(5) a statement that, upon the consumer's written request within the thirty-day period, the debt 
collector will provide the consumer with the name and address of the original creditor, if different 
from the current creditor.  
(b) Disputed debts - If the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the thirty-day period 
described in subsection (a) of this section that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, or that the 
consumer requests the name and address of the original creditor, the debt collector shall cease 
collection of the debt, or any disputed portion thereof, until the debt collector obtains verification of 
the debt or a copy of a judgment, or the name and address of the original creditor, and a copy of such 
verification or judgment, or name and address of the original creditor, is mailed to the consumer by 
the debt collector.  
(c) Admission of liability - The failure of a consumer to dispute the validity of a debt under this section 
may not be construed by any court as an admission of liability by the consumer 
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Fair Debt Collection Practices
Most of us have, at one time or another, disputed a bill sent to us by a vendor. Since 1977, a federal
law known as the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, has protected consumers from unscrupulous
conduct committed by anyone attempting to collect the debt on the vendor's behalf.
First, it is important to note that the Act applies only to consumer debt. Under the Act, a consumer
debt is any obligation to pay money for a transaction that was primarily for personal, family, or
household purposes. Debts that are primarily for business purposes are not covered by the Act.
A person is a debt collector under the Act if they regularly use the U.S. mail or telephones to collect or
attempt to collect a consumer debt owed to another (i.e., owed to a person other than the debt
collector). Although the Act usually applies to debt collection firms, it could also apply to business
owners. If you are attempting to collect a consumer debt for your incorporated business, you too
could be a debt collector. This is because the debt is owed to your corporation, not to you personally.
When collecting a debt for your corporation, you must make it clear to the debtor that you are acting
on behalf of the corporation. One court ruled that a business which obtained only four percent of its
revenue from debt collection was "regularly" using the mail for purposes of the Act. So, by spending
four percent of your time collecting consumer debts for your business through the mail or by the
telephone without disclosing that you are acting on behalf of your business, you might be "regularly"
attempting to collect those debts.
The Act contains some fairly complicated rules governing collection of consumer debt. A debt collector
cannot threaten to take any action that is illegal or which the collector does not actually intend to do.
For example, if you cannot threaten to sue someone if you do not intend to do so. The Act also forbids
a debt collector from attempting to collect any amount not authorized by the agreement creating the
debt or not otherwise allowed by any applicable law.
The Act prohibits a debt collector from misrepresenting any of the following: (1) the character,
amount, or status of the debt, (2) credit information pertaining to the consumer, (3) the debt
collector's name, (4) or any other facts in order to obtain information about the debt. In addition, a
debt collector may not falsely state that the debtor has committed a crime or similar wrongdoing and
a debt collector may not use writings (such as letters or forms) that falsely appear to have some sort
of official approval (such as a fake court seal).
The Act also bars a debt collector from engaging in conduct that harasses, oppresses, or abuses the
debtor. Examples include profane language and repeated telephone calls. The Act expressly forbids
calls to a debtor between 9:00 pm and 8:00 am (without the debtor's consent), calls to a debtor when
the debt collector knows the debtor has an attorney and calls to a debtor's workplace if the debt
collector reasonably should know that the debtor's employer forbids such calls. A debt collector must
cease all communications after a debtor informs the debt collector in writing that the debtor refuses to
pay or wants the debt collector to stop calling.
All communications by a debt collector to a debtor must contain disclosures prescribed by the Act.
These are as follows: (1) the purpose of the communication is to collect a debt, (2) the amount of the
debt, (3) the name of the current creditor, (4) a statement warning the debtor that the debt collector
will assume that the debt is valid unless the debtor disputes the debt within 30 days, (5) a promise to
mail the debtor verification of the debt if the debtor disputes the debt within 30 days, and (6) a
promise to give the debtor the name of the previous creditor (if any) if the debtor disputes the debt
within 30 days. Once a debtor disputes a debt, the debt collector must cease collection efforts until the
debtor receives the verification of the debt.
The Act limits the communications that a debt collector may have with others regarding the debt. A
debt collector may communicate only with the debtor's attorney, a credit reporting agency, the
creditor, and the creditor's attorney. The only exceptions are when the debt collector is attempting to
locate the debtor or to enforce a judgment.
The Act contains some harsh penalties that may be imposed on debt collectors who violate the Act.
Th i l d th t l d ff d b th d bt lt f th i l ti f th A t
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statutory damages up to $1,000, attorneys fees (which can be enormous), and court costs. The Act 
shows debt collectors some mercy, however. A debt collector might avoid the penalties if they can 
prove that the violation was unintentional and resulted from a bona fide error despite procedures that 
the debt collector has in place to avoid such errors… 
 
 
 
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) was enacted to eliminate unscrupulous debt collection practices of 
consumer debts.  Consumer Credit Protection Act, §  802 et seq., as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. §  1692 et seq. 
 
[1] Consumer Protection 
 10 
92Hk10 
 
Fair Deb t Co llection Practices Act (FDCPA) was en acted to eli minate u nscrupulous debt co llection p ractices of  
consumer debts.  Consumer Credit Protection Act, §  802 et seq., as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. §  1692 et seq. 
 
[2] Consumer Protection 
 10 
92Hk10 
 
In establishing the Fair Deb t Collection Practices Act (F DCPA), Congress recognized the serious and wide spread 
abuses in the  de bt c ollection area  whic h m ade the l egislation necessary a nd ap propriate.  C onsumer C redit 
Protection Act, §  802 et seq., as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. §  1692 et seq. 
 
[3] Consumer Protection 
 10 
92Hk10 
 
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) obligates a debt collector, upon solicitation of payment on a consumer 
debt or wi thin fi ve day s t hereof, t o provide a det ailed validation n otice t o t he co nsumer.  C onsumer C redit 
Protection Act, §  809, as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. §  1692g. 
 
[4] Consumer Protection 
 10 
92Hk10 
 
Attorneys who r egularly e ngage i n c onsumer-debt-collection activ ity fall with in t he scop e of t he Fai r Debt 
Collection P ractices Act 's (F DCPA's) definition o f "debt collectors."  C onsumer C redit Prot ection Act, §  802 et 
seq., as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. §  1692 et seq.  
 
[5] Consumer Protection 
 10 
92Hk10 
 
Validation notice sent by debt collector to consumer pursuant to th e Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) 
must include, inter alia, a statement that debt's validity will be assumed unless it is disputed by consumer within 30 
days of receipt of the notice and a n offer by de bt c ollector t o provide information regarding the details a nd 
verification of the debt.  Consumer Credit Protection Act, §  809, as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. §  1692g. 
 
[6] Consumer Protection 
 10 
92Hk10 
 
Although, under the Fair De bt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), a debt collector is obligate d to cease collection 
efforts until information requested by a consumer is provided, the FDCPA's notice provisions do not require that any 
specific statement of this "cea se and desist" obligation be provided to consumers.  Consumer Credit Protection Act, 
Chapter 23 Page 10  2003-09-17

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§ 809(b), as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. § 1692g(b).

[7] Consumer Protection
10
92Hk10

Under th e Fair Deb t Co llection Practices Act (FDCPA), a d ebt collector must ensure th at notice of t he right to
dispute the debt is actually conveyed to the consumer, and that the notice is conveyed effectively. Consumer Credit
Protection Act, § 809, as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. § 1692g.

[8] Consumer Protection
10
92Hk10

Effectiveness of a validation notice provided by a debt collector to a consumer pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection
Practices Act (FDCPA) is ba sed on an objective standard of the manner in which a "least sophisticated cons umer"
would interpret the notice. Consumer Credit Protection Act, § 809, as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. § 1692g.

[9] Consumer Protection
10
92Hk10

"Least sophisticated consumer" standard required of validation notices sent by debt collectors to consumers pursuant
to the Fair Deb t Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) allows for the protection of all con sumers, the gullible and the
shrewd. Consumer Credit Protection Act, § 809, as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. § 1692g.

[10] Consumer Protection
10
92Hk10

"Least sophisticated consumer" standard required of validation notices sent by debt collectors to consumers pursuant
to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) presumes a level of sophistication that is low, close to the bottom
of the sophistication meter. Consumer Credit Protection Act, § 809, as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. § 1692g.

[11] Consumer Protection
10
92Hk10

"Least sophisticated consumer" standard required of validation notices sent by debt collectors to consumers pursuant
to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) contemplates a minimum level of sophistication which prevents
liability for bizarre or idiosyncratic interpretations of collection notices by preserving a quotient of reasonableness
and presuming a basic level of understanding and willingness to read with care. Consumer Credit Protection Act, §
809, as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. § 1692g.

[12] Consumer Protection
10
92Hk10

In ap plying t he o bjective "l east so phisticated co nsumer" st andard required of val idation notices sent by de bt
collectors to consumers pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), co urts assume that the entire
content of the notice was read by the consumer. Consumer Credit Protection Act, § 809, as amended, 15 U.S.C.A.
§ 1692g.

[13] Consumer Protection
10
92Hk10

Although the applicable standard under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is that of a consumer with
a minimum level of sophistication, standard assumes that a validation notice is read in its entirety, carefully and with
some el ementary l evel o f u nderstanding. Consumer C redit Pr otection Act, § 8 09, a s am ended, 15 U.S .C.A. §
1692g.

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[14] Consumer Protection
10
92Hk10

Contradictory or confusing language in a deb t collector's validation notice to a co nsumer may give rise to liability
under sect ion of t he Fai r De bt C ollection Practices Act (FDCPA) prohibiting debt c ollectors f rom com mitting a
false, deceptive, or m isleading representation or means in c onnection with the collection of any debt. C onsumer
Credit Protection Act, § 807, as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. § 1692e.

[15] Consumer Protection
10
92Hk10

Effective no tice h as not b een co nveyed under th e Fair Debt C ollection Practices Act (FDCPA) wh en, altho ugh
information provided in a debt collector's validation notice may have be en accurate and may have been sufficient
under the FDCPA if independently conveyed, the validation notice was coupled with language which could confuse
a least sophisticated cons umer or re nder the consumer uncertain on how to proceed. C onsumer Credit Protection
Act, § 809, as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. § 1692g.

[16] Consumer Protection
36.1
92Hk36.1

Since the standard applied to a validation notice under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is objective
in nature, that is, a hypothetical least sophisticated consumer, the determination is a question of law, not a question
of fact. Consumer Credit Protection Act, § 809, as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. § 1692g.

[17] Consumer Protection
10
92Hk10

Validation notice sent by debt col lector would have c aused a hypot hetical least s ophisticated cons umer to be
confused and uncertain of his rights, and so violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA); validation
notice containing statutory language was on page eight of a 16-page packet that included a summons and complaint,
dire consequences of not responding to the complaint were set out in bold on summons on the first page, which
stated that "IF YOU DO NOT FILE YOUR RESPONSE ON TIME, YOU MAY LOSE THE CASE, AND YOUR
WAGES, M ONEY A ND P ROPERTY M AY THEREAFTER BE T AKEN WITHOUT F URTHER WARNING
FROM THE COURT," summons and FDCPA notice described very different options and were conflicting, despite
fact th at both had 30-d ay return dates, and no recon ciling langu age was in cluded to explain th e t wo seem ingly
contradictory or confusing provisions. Consumer Credit Protection Act, § 809, as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. § 1692g.

[18] Consumer Protection
10
92Hk10

When a debt collector has sent a consumer a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) validation notice together
with a summons and complaint, upon acting upon the validation notice by disputing the debt, consumer is under no
obligation to respond to th e complaint until, at th e earliest, debt collector responds with the requested information.
Consumer Credit Protection Act, § 809(b), as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. § 1692g(b).

[19] Consumer Protection
10
92Hk10

Although the plain language of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is co ntrolling as to the sub stantive
information that must be provided through a validation notice, the manner and sufficiency of the notice may still be
set and weighed by the courts. Consumer Credit Protection Act, § 809, as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. § 1692g.

[20] Consumer Protection
10
92Hk10

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It is implicit that a debt  collector may not defeat the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act's (FDCPA's) purpose by 
making the required disclosures in a form or within a context in wh ich they are unlikely to be understood by the 
unsophisticated debtors who are the particular objects of the statute's solicitude.  Consumer Credit Protection Act, §  
809, as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. §  1692g. 
 
[21] Consumer Protection 
 10 
92Hk10 
 
To prevent confusion, a debt collector should provide clarity when inclusion of a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act 
(FDCPA) validation notice with other documents might lead a consumer to be uncertain or indefinite as to his rights; 
specifically, if two or more messages would deliver mixed guidance to a least sophisticated consumer as to his rights 
under th e FDCPA, reconciling lan guage ought to  be utilized to  p rovide effectiv e n otice.  Consu mer Cred it 
Protection Act, §  809, as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. §  1692g. 
 
[22] Consumer Protection 
 40 
92Hk40 
 
[22] Consumer Protection 
 42 
92Hk42 
 
Debt collector who violates the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is liable for actual damages sustained 
as a result of the violation, additional or "statutory" damages up to $1,000.00, and consumer's costs and reasonable 
attorney fees.  Consumer Credit Protection Act, §  813(a), as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. §  1692k(a). 
 
[23] Consumer Protection 
 40 
92Hk40 
 
Fair Debt Co llection Practices Act (FDCPA) sets forth certain n on-exhaustive facto rs for court to con sider i n 
determining the am ount of liability for actual and statutory dam ages, namely (1) the freque ncy and persistence of 
noncompliance, (2) the nature of the noncompliance, and (3) the extent to which the noncompliance was intentional.  
Consumer Credit Protection Act, §  813(b), as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. §  1692k(b). 
 
[24] Consumer Protection 
 42 
92Hk42 
 
Factors set forth by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) for court to consider in determining the amount 
of liability for actual and statutory damages are no t applicable to the award of costs and attorney fees.  Co nsumer 
Credit Protection Act, §  813(b), as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. §  1692k(b). 
 
[25] Consumer Protection 
 42 
92Hk42 
 
Given the structure of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), atto rney fees should not be construed as a 
special o r d iscretionary remedy; rath er, th e FDCPA m andates an  award  o f attorn ey fees as a means o f fu lfilling 
Congress's i ntent t hat t he F DCPA s hould be e nforced by debt ors act ing as private attorneys general.  C onsumer 
Credit Protection Act, §  813(a), as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. §  1692k(a). 
 
[26] Consumer Protection 
 40 
92Hk40 
 
[26] Consumer Protection 
 42 
92Hk42 
 
Law firm th at v iolated th e Fair Debt C ollection Practi ces Act' s (FDCPA' s) notice provisi ons wa s l iable for t he 
maximum amount of statutory damages, $1,000.00, as well as costs and reasonable attorney fees incurred by debtor 
Chapter 23 Page 13  2003-09-17

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in pro secution of actio n; firm  o rdinarily an d regularly v iolated th e FDCPA b y i ncluding in its in itial 
communications with consumers a validation notice in the sa me form as th at found defective in th e instant case, 
nature of firm's noncompliance was m oderate, in that firm provided the notice required by statute, but it failed  to 
meet the hypothetical leas t sophisticated cons umer standa rd because the notice was oversha dowed by other 
information, and violation was, if not intentional, then measured, given abundance of case law clearly setting forth 
the standard upon which a debt collector must operate. Consumer Credit Protection Act, § 809, 813(a), as amended, 
15 U.S.C.A. § 1692g, 1692k(a). 
 
[32] Consumer Protection 
 10 
92Hk10 
 
Fact t hat l aw firm, act ing a s de bt col lector i n se nding debtor a 16-page packet t hat i ncluded a  s ummons an d 
complaint as well as a Fai r Deb t Co llection Practices Act (F DCPA) val idation notice, use d a n approved form 
summons did not affect court's d etermination that summons, coupled with validation notice, was confusing and so 
violated the FDCPA.  Consumer Credit Protection Act, §  809, as amended, 15 U.S.C.A. §  1692g. 
 
[33] Consumer Protection 
 42 
92Hk42 
 
Consumer who is successful in a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA ) action is entitled to an a ward of 
reasonable attorney fees a nd costs .  Cons umer Credit Prot ection Act , §  8 13(a)(3), as am ended, 
1692k(a)(3)
 
. 
15 U.S.C.A . §  
[34] Consumer Protection 
 42 
92Hk42 
 
Fee provision of t he Fai r Debt Collection Practices Ac t (FDCPA) is inten ded to en courage con sumers an d th eir 
attorneys to act as "p rivate attorneys general" in order to enforce the FDCPA.  Cons umer Credit Protection Act, §   
813(a)(3), as amended, 
 
15 U.S.C.A. §  1692k(a)(3). 
[35] Consumer Protection 
 42 
92Hk42 
 
In determining fees under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), court must look at the factors generally 
applicable to fee awards under federal statute, including (1) time and labor required, (2) novelty and difficulty of the 
legal questions, (3) sk ill required to perform the legal service properly, (4) preclusion of other employment by the 
attorney due to acceptance of the case, (5) c ustomary fee for sim ilar work in the community, (6 ) whether the fee is  
fixed or contingent, (7) time limitations imposed by the client or the circumstances, (8) amount involved and results 
obtained, (9) ex perience, reputation, an d ab ility o f t he at torney, (10) un desirability of th e case, (11) nature an d 
length of the professional relationship with the client, and (12) awards in similar cases.  Consumer Credit Protection 
Act, §  813(a)(3), as amended, 
 
 
15 U.S.C.A. §  1692k(a)(3). 
[41] Consumer Protection 
 42 
92Hk42 
 
In awa rding f ees un der t he Fair Debt  C ollection Pract ices A ct ( FDCPA), bankruptcy court re jected request of 
debtor's cou nsel for pay ment for hours ex pended w hich were not rec orded.  C onsumer C redit Pr otection Act , §   
813(a)(3), as amended, 
 
15 U.S.C.A. §  1692k(a)(3). 
[42] Bankruptcy 
 3196 
51k3196 
 
In awarding fees, a reasonable hourly rate is the prevailing market rate in the relevant legal community for similar 
services by lawyers of reasonably comparable skills, experience, and reputation. 
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[43] Bankruptcy 
 3205 
51k3205 
 
Party seeking attorney fees bears the burden of producing satisfactory evidence that the requested rate is in line with 
the prevailing market rates. 
 
[45] Consumer Protection 
 42 
92Hk42 
 
For purposes of awarding fees under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act  (FDC PA), reasonable billing rate for 
debtor's at torney was $200 per h our; debtor's ex pert o pined t hat a n hourly rat e between $ 250 an d $325 was 
reasonable, defendant's ex pert testif ied th at FD CPA lawyer s ch arged between $195 an d $22 5 per h our, debtor's 
attorney had limited experience in FDC PA cases, a m ore experienced FDCPA attorney could ha ve accomplished 
many of the billed-for tasks in less tim e, the law at issu e was not excessively complex, and the standard business 
practice of debtor's attorney was to charge clients $185 per hour.  Consumer Credit Protection Act, §  813(a)(3), as 
amended, 
 
15 U.S.C.A. §  1692k(a)(3). 
[46] Consumer Protection 
 42 
92Hk42 
 
In a warding fees un der t he F air De bt C ollection P ractices Act  (F DCPA), ba nkruptcy c ourt w ould disallow 3 9.1 
hours in time included in debtor's motion for attorney fees, but not included in attorney's earlier letter to defendant 
which in cluded an  attach ment d etailing the ho urs sp ent b y atto rney th rough sp ecified date.  Consu mer Cred it 
Protection Act, §  813(a)(3), as amended, 
 
 
 
15 U.S.C.A. §  1692k(a)(3). 
[48] Bankruptcy 
 3194 
51k3194 
 
Any fee enhancement award is within the sole discretion of the bankruptcy court. 
 
 
Summary of the Law 
 
 [1][2][3][4][5][6] The FDCPA was enacted to eliminate unscrupulous debt collection practices of consumer debts.  
See 15 U.S.C. §  1692;  Russell v. Equifax A.R.S., 74 F.3d 30, 33 (2d Cir.1996);  see generally O. Randolph Bragg, 
The Fair De bt C ollection Pr actices Act , 117 2 PL I/ C orp 9 17 ( April, 2000).  Quo ting th e ap plicable leg islative 
history, the El eventh Circuit has stat ed th at in  estab lishing th e FDCPA, Congress r ecognized "t he seri ous a nd 
widespread abuses in the [debt collection area] ... [which] make this legislation necessary and appropriate."  Jeter v. 
Credit Bure au, Inc.,  76 0 F.2 d 11 68, 1173  (11th Cir.1985) quoting S.Rep. N o. 95 -382, 9 5th Cong., 1st  Sess., 
reprinted in 197 7 U.S. Cod e Cong. & Ad. News 1695, 1697.  C onsistent with this goal, §  1692g obligates a debt 
collector, upon sol icitation of payment on a co nsumer debt  o r wi thin fi ve days t hereof, t o provide a det ailed 
validation notice ("Validation Notice") to the consumer. See 15 U.S.C. §  1692g. [FN1]  The Validation Notice must 
include, inter alia, a statement that the debt's validity will be assumed unless it is d isputed by the consumer within 
30 days of receipt of t he notice and a n offer by the debt collector to provide information regarding the details and 
verification of t he de bt.  See i d.  The e ase of obtaining t his i nformation al lows a c onsumer t o ar m him self t o 
challenge the claimed amount or entirety of the debt prior to making payment.  The notice provisions of §  1692g do 
not require any specific state ment of th e legal consequences of requesting such notice, namely, the obligation of a 
debt collector to cease collection efforts until the requested information is provided.  This "cease and desist" charge 
is in the statute, but notice of the obligation is not explicitly required.  See 
 
15 U.S.C. §  1692g(b). 
FN1. Although the FDCPA only applies to "d ebt collectors", the United States Su preme Court has ruled 
that at torneys who re gularly "enga ge i n c onsumer-debt-collection activ ity" fall with in th e scop e of th is 
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definition.  Heintz v. Jenkins, 514 U.S. 291, 115 S.Ct. 1489, 131 L.Ed.2d 395 (1995). 
 
 [7][8][9][10] A debt collector must ensure that notice of the right to dispute the debt is actually conveyed to t he 
consumer, and  t hat t he not ice i s convey ed effectively.  See Wilson v. Q uadramed C orp., 225 F.3d  35 0, 35 4 (3d 
Cir.2000);  Russell, 74 F.3d at 35;  Graziano v. Harrison, 950 F.2d 107, 111 (3d Cir.1991);  Swanson v. Sou thern 
Oregon Credit Service, Inc., 869 F.2d 1222, 1225 (9th Cir.1988);  Rabideau v. Ma nagement Adjustment Bureau, 
805 F.Supp. 1086, 1093 (W.D.N.Y.1992).  The effectiveness of the notice is based on an objective standard of the 
manner in which a "least sophisticated co nsumer" would interpret the notice.  See Jeter, 760 F.2d at 1175; Russell, 
74 F.3d at 34 ("[T]he test is how t he least sophisticated consumer--one not having the astuteness of a 'Philadelphia 
lawyer' or even the sophistication of th e *532 average, everyday, common c onsumer--understands the notice he o r 
she receives.").  This standard allows for the protection of all consumers, the gullible and the shrewd.  See Wilson v. 
Quadramed Corp.,  225 F. 3d at  354 .  As described by t he Se venth C ircuit, t his st andard p resumes a l evel of  
sophistication that "is lo w, close to the bottom of the sophistication meter."  Avila v. R ubin, 84 F.3d 222, 226 (7th 
Cir.1996). 
 
 [11][12][13] The least sophisticated cons umer standard does contemplate a minimum level of sophistication which 
"prevents liab ility fo r b izarre o r i diosyncratic in terpretations o f collection n otices b y preserving a q uotient o f 
reasonableness and presuming a basic level of understanding and willingness to read with care."  Wilson, 225 F.3d at 
354-55 (internal quotation marks and citations omitted);  see also Jang v. A.M. Miller & Assoc., 122 F.3d 480, 483-
84 (7th Cir.1997).  Moreover, in applying this objective standard, courts assume that the entire content of the notice 
was read by the consumer.  See Cavallaro v. La w Office o f Shapiro & Kreisma n, 93 3 F.Supp . 1148, 1153 
(E.D.N.Y.1996);  Clomon v. Jackson, 988 F.2d 1314, 1319 (2d Cir.1993) (A least sophisticated cons umer "can be 
presumed to possess a rudim entary amount of inform ation about the world and a willingn ess to rea d a collection 
notice with some care.").  Therefore, although the applicable standard is that of a consumer with a minimum level of 
sophistication, it assumes that a Validation Notice is read in its entirety, carefully and with some elementary level of 
understanding. 
 
 [14] Numerous courts in various circuits have held that the mere inclusion of a Validation Notice within the first 
communication between a debt collector and a c onsumer does not necessarily satisfy the notice requirement of §  
1692g.  See Rabideau, 805 F.Supp. 1086;  see also Bartlett v. Heibl, 128 F.3d 497, 500 (7th Cir.1997);  Graziano, 
950 F.2d at 111;  Miller v. Payco-General American Credits, Inc., 943 F.2d 482 (4th Cir.1991);  Swanson, 869 F.2d 
at 1225.  Thes e courts ha ve reasoned th at even where the bare bones of  the required notice is present, §  16 92g is 
nonetheless violated where the notice is "overshadowed or contradicted by accompanying messages from the de bt 
collector."  Graziano, 950 F.2d at 111;  Bartlett, 128 F.3d at 500 (citing cases). [FN2] 
 
FN2. Contradictory or confusin g language may also give rise to liability under §  1692e, which prohibits 
debt collectors from committing a "f alse, deceptive or m isleading representation or means in connec tion 
with the collection of an y debt."  See 15 U.S.C. 1692e;  see also Russell, 74 F. 3d at 35 ("[A] collection 
notice is deceptive when it can be reasonably read to have two or more different meanings, one of which is 
inaccurate.").  Plaintiff did not allege a §  1692e violation, and therefore, that subsection is not at issue here. 
 
 [15] In m any cases, the conflicting or co nfusing message which results in a vi olation of the FDCPA is a paym ent 
demand that could influence the consumer to forego the statutory rights contained in the Validation Notice.  See 
generally Bragg, The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 1172 PLI/ Corp 917 (citing and discussing cases).  In cases 
involving such overlapping statements, the information provided in the Validation Notice may be accurate, and if it 
had been independently conveyed, would have been sufficient to inform a least sophisticated consumer of his rights.  
However, when coupled with language which could confuse a least sophisticated consumer or render the consumer 
uncertain on how t o proceed, e ffective notice ha s n ot been c onveyed.  See Marshall-Mosby v . Co rporate 
Receivables, Inc.,  205 F.3d 3 23, 326  ( 7th Cir .2000) (" The key consi deration is  that the unsophis ticated *533 
consumer is to be protected against confusion whatever form it takes.") (internal quotation marks omitted);  see also 
Russell, 74 F.3d at 35.  It is the confusion based on the context of the notice which would lead the hypothetical least 
sophisticated c onsumer t o be u ncertain as  t o his st atutory ri ghts t o dispute t he de bt a nd t herefore e liminate t he 
effectiveness of the statutory notice. 
 
 [16] There is a split in the circuits as to whether the effectiveness of a Validation Notice is an issue of law or fact.  
See Wilson, 225 F.3d at 353 fn. 2 (noting conflicting circuit decisions).  Th is Court agrees with  the Second, Third 
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and Ninth circuits, and fi nds that since the standard a pplied is objective in n ature, i.e., a h ypothetical leas t
sophisticated consumer, the determination is a question of law. See id.; Terran v. Kaplan, 109 F.3d 1428, 1432-33
(9th Cir.1997); Russell, 74 F.3d at 35; but see Walker v. National Recovery, Inc., 200 F.3d 500, 503 (7th Cir.1999).
The parties here agree that this is an issue of law and that there are no genuine issues of material fact to be decided.

Analysis

Summary judgment is appropriate "if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,
together with the affidavits, if an y, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving
party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law." See Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c) made applicable by Fed.R.Bankr.P. 7056;
Trucks, Inc. v. United States of America, 234 F.3d 1340 (11th Cir.2000).

[17] Upon ca reful consi deration of the FDCPA Notice i n th e insta nt c ase, as viewed from the pe rspective of a
hypothetical least so phisticated consumer, the Court finds that Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment should be
granted. The Initial Communication in this case was a 16 page package which included a summons and complaint.
The FDCPA Notice was on page eight, while the dire consequences of not responding to the complaint were set out
in bo ld on the su mmons o n th e first p age. Viewed i n its en tirety, th e Co urt find s th at a h ypothetical least
sophisticated consumer would have been confused and uncertain of his rights. As such, the FDCPA Notice did not
provide effective notice and therefore violated § 1692g.

In Graziano, the Third Circuit held that the notice of the right to dispute the debt was not effectively conveyed to
the debtor where a ten day de mand for payment and the t hreat of a laws uit if payment was not made accompanied
the Validation Notice. See 950 F.2d at 111. Th e court found that it was a reason able possibility that "the least
sophisticated debtor, faced w ith a dem and for payment within ten days and a threat of imm ediate le gal action if
payment is not made in that time, would be induced to overlook his statutory right to dispute the debt within thirty
days." Id. at 111.

Although in the instant case the return date on the summons was set for thirty days following receipt, presumably to
coincide with the thirty day period to dispute the debt under § 1692g, the confusion and uncertainty arising from the
conflict between the summons and the FDCPA Notice is similar to the conflicts which created liability in Graziano.
The summons, which was the first page of the Initial Communication, required a response to the complaint and set
forth dire consequences for failure to comply. The Validation Notice on the eighth page described a very different
option, namely, the right to dispute the debt and request verification. As a matter of law, exercise of this latter right
requires a debt collector to cease co llection efforts until the verification is provided to the consumer. As described
by the Third *534 Circuit, "the juxtaposition of two inconsistent statements ... rendered the statutory notice invalid
under section 1692g." Id. at 111; see also Bartlett, 128 F.3d at 500 ("In the typical case, the letter both demands
payment within thirty days and explains the consumer's right to demand verification within thirty days. These rights
are not inconsistent, but ... the letter confuses."). The same is true here. Even though the summons and the FDCPA
Notice both had 30 day return dates, the conflicting statements rendered the FDCPA Notice ineffective.

In another sense, the facts here are more compelling than in Graziano. In Graziano, the letter which accompanied
the Validation Notice merely threatened legal action unless the debt was resolved. See 950 F.2d at 111. Here, we
have not the threat of a lawsuit, but the actual commencement of a legal action. Simple a fortiori logic suggests that
a least sophisticated consumer would be more compelled to obey the fulfillment of a threat than the threat itself.

The Court's conclusion that the Defendant violated § 1692g is also supported by Adams v. Law Offices of St uckert
& Yates, 926 F.Supp. 521 (E.D.Pa.1996). Like the Defendant here, the defendant law firm in Adams provided the
consumer with th e statu torily mandated Validation Noti ce. Ho wever, st rong l anguage preceded such n otice,
including statements that failure to make "prompt" or immediate payment on the debt might result in a lawsuit, and
payment was the only way for the consumer to "avoid trouble". See id. at 524-25. Citing Graziano and Russell, the
court explained that "extraneous language is considered overshadowing or contradictory if it would cause the least
sophisticated debtor to become confused or uncertain as to his rights under the FDCPA." Id. at 527. In granting
summary judgment in favor of the consumer, the court held that the harsh language, from the perspective of a least
sophisticated consumer, overshadowed the included Validation Notice in violation of § 1692g. See id. at 527.

Here, the FDCPA Notice was in a package that be gan with a sum mons containing language even more blistering
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than that in Adams. The ominous sentence, "IF YOU DO NOT FILE YOUR RESPONSE ON TIME, YOU MAY
LOSE THE CASE, A ND YO UR WA GES, MONEY AND PROPERTY MAY THERE AFTER BE TAKEN
WITHOUT FURTHER WARNING FROM THE COURT" o n the first page of th e Initial Communication would
cause a least sophisticated c onsumer to heed th e warn ing an d choo se to answ er th e complaint. Th is th reatened
consequence set o ut in bold lan guage lead s th e C ourt to th e in escapable con clusion th at a least so phisticated
consumer would not fully understand or appreciate the FDCPA Notice. The language in the summons would induce
the consumer to answer the complaint to prevent the harsh result threatened therein. Therefore, no effective notice
was provided.

The confusion created by the Initial Communication was evident during oral argument on the summary judgment
motions. During the January 8th hearing, the Court asked Defendant's counsel what the effect would have been on
the ti me fra me to file a respo nsive p leading to th e co mplaint if th e Deb tor h ad requ ested v alidation o f th e debt
pursuant to t he FDC PA Not ice. Notably, eve n a fter ca ucusing with co -counsel, Defend ant's lead attorney was
unable to defi ne the De btor's rights and obligations up on receipt of a single encl osure which incl uded both a
Validation Notice an d a foreclo sure co mplaint. It wo uld b e difficult to find th at the In itial Co mmunication
conveyed effective notice to a hypothetical least sophisticated c onsumer *535 when both the Court and Defendant's
counsel had difficulty harmonizing the compounded effect of a sum mons and Val idation Notice. See Bartlett, 128
F.3d at 501 ("nor as an original matter could we doubt that th e letter to [the debtor] was confusing-- we found it so,
and do not like to think of ourselves as your average unsophisticated consumer.").

At th e Feb ruary 1 2th h earing, th e Cou rt once ag ain questioned D efendant's co unsel w hat a h ypothetical least
sophisticated consumer ought to have done upon receipt of the Initial Communication. Counsel' s response to the
Court's inquiry was that si nce the In itial Communication demanded an a nswer to the c omplaint within thirty days
and also gave notice of the right to dispute the debt within the same time period, the consumer can simply do both.
This response is virtually an admission that the Initial Communication is confusing.

[18] Upon acting upon a Validation Notice by disputing the debt, a consumer is under no obligation to respond to
the co mplaint u ntil, at th e earliest, th e d ebt co llector respo nds with th e requested i nformation. See 15 U. S.C. §
1692g(b). It misch aracterizes th e law to suggest th at it is satisfactory for a least sophisticated c onsumer to be
induced to respond to a co mplaint within the time set forth in the summons, when, as a matter of law, that time is
statutorily extended if there is a re quest for the validation of his debt. Only a c onsumer at best uncertain as t o his
rights wou ld co me to th is con clusion. See Bartlett, 1 28 F.3d at 500-01 ("A co ntradiction i s j ust one m eans of
inducing confusion.").

This result would also run contrary to the stated goals of the FDCPA. By filing a signed responsive pleading with a
court, the consumer is bound to the statements of law or facts contained therein. A consumer is statutorily provided
with an opportunity to learn many o f th e details su rrounding the app licable debt prior to responding to th e d ebt
collector, and filing a sworn answer unnecessarily limits such a right.

Defendant's cou nsel's fi nal arg ument i s that despi te an y pot ential conf usion base d on co ntext, t he Defe ndant
complied with the FDCPA because the Initial Communication contained the substantive notice required by the plain
language o f § 1692g. T he legislature did n ot re quire a debt c ollector to d o m ore t han provide t he speci fically
enumerated information to a consumer upon the attempted collection of a debt. See United States v. Lewis, 67 F.3d
225, 228 (9th Cir.1995) ("[C]anons of statutory construction dictate that if the language of a statute is clear, we look
no further than that language in determining the statute's meaning."). Therefore, according to the Defendant, the
FDCPA notice requirements are satisfied by the simple enclosure of the specific rights enumerated in the statute.

[19][20] The Court rejects the Defendant's position. Although the plain language of the statute is controlling as to
the substantive information that must be provided through the notice, the manner and sufficiency of the notice may
still be set an d weighed by the courts. As stated above, the long standing rule in this Circuit and others is t hat the
FDCPA requires effective notice to be con veyed pursuant to the least sophisticated c onsumer standard. See Jeter,
760 F.2d at 1175; Wilson, 225 F.3d at 354. As Judge Posner explained in Bartlett,
[I]t is implicit that the debt collector may not defeat the statute's purpose by making the required disclosures in a
form or within a context in which they are unlikely to be understood by the *536 unsophisticated debtors who are
the particular objects of the statute's solicitude.
128 F.3d at 500.
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[21] For the reasons discussed, the Defendant's FDCPA Notice violated § 1692g since it did not provide effective
notice co nsistent with th e app licable least sophisticated consumer standard. For guidance, t he Court offe rs the
following simple suggestion for satisfying the statute where inclusion of a Validation Notice with other documents
might lead a cons umer to be uncertain or indefinite as t o his rights: t o prevent confusion, a de bt collector should
provide clarity. Sp ecifically, if two or mo re m essages would deliver mixed g uidance t o a l east so phisticated
consumer as to his rights under the FDCPA, reconciling language ought to be utilized to provide effective notice.

Other cou rts have fou nd it ap propriate to p rovide so me d irection to practitio ners in analyzing wh at co nstitutes
effective no tice un der t he FDCPA, includin g, in particular, t he Se venth C ircuit's co mprehensive d iscussion i n
Bartlett. S ee 128 F .3d 497. There , J udge Pos ner proposed t hat rec onciling l anguage bet ween t wo se emingly
contradictory or confusing provisions setting deadlines for a debtor to act could remedy the overshadowing. See id.
at 501-02. In fact, the Bartlett opinion set forth a hy pothetical letter which would act as a safe ha rbor if a debt
collector chose to include the FDCPA notice provision and a seven day demand for payment of the amount owed in
the same document. See id. The hypothetical letter ends with the following statement:
The law does not require me [the debt collector] to wait until the end of the thirty-day period before suing you [the
consumer] to collect this debt. If, however, you request proof of the debt or the name and address of the original
creditor within the th irty-day period which begins with your receipt of this letter, the la w requires me to suspend
my efforts (through litigation or otherwise) to collect the debt until I mail the requested information to you.
Id. at 502.

This C ourt af firmatively appr oves t he Se venth C ircuit's safe har bor i n Bartlett. Sim ilar reconci ling l anguage
included on page eight of the Initial Communication could have avoided the statutory violation in this p roceeding,
providing the required notice without sacrificing efficiency. [FN3] Such language would harmonize and explain the
consumer's obligations in responding to the lawsuit when, in the same communication, the consumer is advised of
his statutory rights under the FDCPA.

FN3. Once a gain, it s hould be noted t hat as stated in f n. 1, t here are other st atutory co nsiderations
applicable to a debt collector under § 1692, and the instant discussion is limited to § 1692g.

In sum, the Court finds that the notice provided by the Defendant in the Initial Communication was not effective in
light of t he app licable hypothetical least so phisticated co nsumer standard. In co ming to th is result, th e Cou rt is
guided by the United States Supreme Court's admonition in FTC v. C olgate- Palmolive Co., where in a case also
involving consumer protection issues, the Supreme Court stated:
[I]t do es not see m u nfair to require t hat on e who deliberately goes pe rilously close to an area of proscribed
conduct shall take the risk that he may cross the line.
380 U.S. 374, 393, 85 S.Ct. 1035, 13 L.Ed.2d 904 (1965) (internal quotation marks omitted) quoting Boyce Motor
Lines, Inc. v. United States, 342 U.S. 337, 340, 72 S.Ct. 329, 96 L.Ed. 367 (1952). *537 The Defendant took the
risk, crossed the line and violated federal law.

Damages

[22][23] A debt collector who violates the FDCPA is liable for actual damages sustained as a result of the violation
(§ 1692k(a)(1)), ad ditional dam ages (t he "St atutory Damages") up t o $1,000.00 (§ 1692k(a)(2)(A)) and th e
plaintiff's costs and reasonable attorney's fees (§ 1692k(a)(3)). The statute sets forth certain non-exhaustive factors
for a court to consider in de termining t he amount of lia bility for actual and statut ory dam ages, namely (1) t he
frequency and persistence of noncompliance; (2) the nature of the noncompliance; and (3) the extent to which the
noncompliance was intentional. See § 1692k(b).

[24][25] These factors a re not applicable to the awa rd of costs and attorney' s fees. As summ arized by the Third
Circuit in Graziano,
Given the structure of [§ 1692k], attorney's fees s hould not be construed as a s pecial or discretionary remedy;
rather t he [FDCPA] mandates an award of atto rney's fees as a m eans o f fulfilling Congress's in tent th at th e
[FDCPA] should be enforced by debtors acting as private attorneys general. 950 F.2d at 113 (emphasis added).

[26] In determining the amount of damages in the instant proceeding, the Court first finds that the Plaintiff neither
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alleged nor submitted proof of any actual damages. In applying the factors to determine whether to award Statutory
Damages, t he C ourt fi nds t hat t he Defe ndant or dinarily and regularly vi olated t he st atutory re quirements of §
1692g. In fact, the Defendant emphasized that it reg ularly included a Validation Notice in the same form of the
Initial Communication served on the Plaintiff in this case. Indeed, the Defendant stressed the hardship which would
fall on collection attorneys if they were required to change the form and manner in which they must convey effective
notice. Next, the C ourt fi nds t hat t he nature o f t he noncompliance was moderate. T he De fendant provided t he
notice required by the statute, but failed to meet the hypothetical least sophisticated standard because the notice was
overshadowed by other information in the Initial Communication.

Finally, the Court finds that the violation was, if not intentional, then measured. As stated earlier, the Defendant in
this action is a law firm and the abundant case law, including numerous opinions from federal circuit courts, clearly
sets fo rth th e standard upon wh ich a debt collector must op erate. Moreover, wh ile it is on opinion from an other
circuit, Defendant could easily have looked to Judge Posner's "safe haven" language in Bartlett, see 128 F.3d at 501,
and included similar language adequate ly explaining the Debtor's rights upon recei pt of both a s ummons and t he
Validation Notice. It chose not to do so and must now face the consequences.

The C ourt co ncludes t hat t he Defe ndant i s l iable for t he 1, 000.00 m aximum am ount of St atutory Damages an d
further liable for the costs and attorney's fees incurred in the prosecution of this proceeding.

Having concluded that Defendant violated 15 U.S.C. § 1692g, it is

ORDERED as follows:

1. The Debtor's Motion for Summary Judgment is GRANTED.

2. The Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment is DENIED.

3. The debtor is awarded statutory damages in the amount of $1,000.00 plus the costs of the action, together with a
reasonable attorney's fee to be determined *538 by the Court. No later than June 18, 2001, Plaintiff's counsel shall
file a m otion to award fees and costs tog ether with an ex hibit d etailing th e time ex pended and co sts in curred in
prosecuting the co mplaint in this proceeding. Th e Defendant shall have until July 3, 2001 to file an objection and
request fo r hearing, failing which th e Plai ntiff m ay su bmit an o rder award ing th e fees an d co sts so ught in th e
motion.

4. The Court will enter a separate Judgment after it fixes the amount of fees and costs to be awarded.

ORDER DENYING DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO ALTER OR AMEND JUDGMENT

On January 8, 2001 and February 12, 2001, the Court conducted hearings on the Debtor's Motion for Summary
Judgment and the Defendant's Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment and took the matter under advisement. After
fully considering the parties' briefs and the relevant case l aw, on May 30, 2001, the Court entered a Memorandum
Opinion an d Order Gr anting th e D ebtor's Mo tion fo r Su mmary Ju dgment an d D enying th e D efendant's Cr oss
Motion for Summary Judgment (the "Memorandum Opinion"). On June 11, 2001, the Defendant filed a Motion to
Alter or Amend Judgment (the "Motion for Rehearing"). After reviewing the findings of fact and the conclusions of
law in the Memorandum Opinion, the relevant legal standards for rehearing and the grounds for relief set forth in the
Motion for Rehearing, the Court finds that the Motion for Rehearing should be denied.

[27][28][29] "A motion for reconsideration should raise new issues, not merely address issues litigated previously."
Socialist Workers Party v. Le ahy, 957 F.Supp. 1262, 1263 (S.D.Fla.1997) (citing Government Personnel Services,
Inc. v. Government Personnel Mutual Life Ins. Co., 759 F.Supp. 792, 793 (M.D.Fla.1991)).
The motion should also demonstrate why the court should reconsider its prior decisions, and set forth facts or law
of a strongly convincing nature to induce the court to reverse its prior decision. The Court will not reconsider its
decision when a motion does not raise new issues, but only relitigates what has already [been] found to be lacking.
Gelles v. Skrotsky, 15 F.Supp.2d. 1293, 1294 (M.D.Fla.1998) (citations omitted).

[30][31] Courts generally consider only three grounds that may justify granting reconsideration of an order: "1) an
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intervening change in controlling law; 2) the availability of new evidence; and 3) the need to correct clear error or
manifest injustice." Securities and Exchange Commission v. Seahawk Deep Ocean Technology, 74 F.Supp.2d 1188,
1192 ( M.D.Fla.1999) (citatio ns o mitted). Furth ermore, "[i]n th e in terests o f finality an d conservation of scarce
judicial resources, reconsideration of a previous order is an extraordinary remedy to be employed sparingly." Id.

[32] T he Defendant m akes t hree a rguments, eac h of which fai l t o warrant m odification o f t he M emorandum
Opinion under the foregoing legal standard. First, the Defendant argues that it should not be held responsible for the
strong language included in the summons for it is the exact language approved by the Florida Supreme Court for use
in a summons. See Form 1.902, Florida Rules of Civil Procedure. The Court rejects this contention, finding that it
overlooks t he focus of t he Memorandum Opi nion. Set al one, t his C ourt fi nds no problem wi th the l anguage
approved by the Florida Supreme Court for use i n a summons. T he problem arose i n the instant ca se because the
summons was included in a single enclosure which *539 also contained a validation notice required under § 1692g
of th e Fair Deb t Co llection Practices Act (the "FDCPA") . Case law has d etermined th at on ly effectiv e no tice
pursuant to a least sophisticated consum er standard may satisfy the notice requirements of § 169 2g. See Jeter v.
Credit Bureau, Inc., 760 F.2d 1168, 1173 (11th Cir.1985); Russell v. Equifax A.R.S., 74 F.3d 30, 33 (2d Cir.1996).
Derived therefrom, courts have ruled that language which would confuse a l east sophisticated consumer or re nder
the co nsumer unce rtain on how t o p roceed wo uld obviate such notice, t hus violating t he st atute. See Marshall-
Mosby v. Corporate Receivables, Inc., 205 F.3d 323, 326 (7th Cir.2000); Russell, 74 F.3d at 35. In short, the fact
that t he Defendant used a n approved form sum mons d oes n ot affect the Court' s deci sion. It is not the s pecific
language i n the su mmons th at ren ders th e notice in effective; it is its c oupling with t he v alidation notice wh ich
created liability in the instant case.

Second, the Defendant argues th at t he C ourt di d n ot consi der Ferree v. Marianos, 1 997 WL 68 7693 (1 0th
Cir.1997). I n fact, the Court did review Ferree prior to issuing the Memorandum opinion. I n Ferree, there is a
dearth of information relating to the specifics of the makeup of the enclosure received by the consumer. T he only
provided facts are that bot h the validation notice and the foreclosure pleadings arrived to the consumer in the same
envelope. See Ferree, 1997 WL 687693, at *2. Moreover, as stated in the opinion, the plaintiff in Ferree conceded
that the 20 day response date on the summons and 30 day period to dispute the debt were not mutually exclusive.
There are numerous facts which di stinguish the instant case fro m Ferree, including the harsh language on t he first
page of the summons and the fact that the FDCPA Notice was on the eighth page of a sixteen page enclosure. These
factual differences, along with the weight of the other circuit cases cited in the Memorandum Opinion resulted in the
Court considering Ferree, but not deeming it sufficiently persuasive to sustain the Defendant's position.

This Court's decision not to cite to or discuss Ferree in the Memorandum Opinion was not an oversight. Ferree is
an unpublished decision which contained the following language on p. 1, f.n.* of the opinion:
This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and
collateral estoppel. T he Court generally disfavors the citation of orders and j udgments; nevert heless, an o rder
and judgment may be cited under the terms and conditions of 10th Cir.R. 36.3

Tenth Circuit Rule 36.3 provides in pertinent part:
(B) Citation of an unpublished decision is disfavored. But an unpublished decision may be cited if:
(1) it has persuasive value with respect to a material issue that has not been in a published opinion; and
(2) it would assist the court in its disposition.

Given the very limited discussion of the relevant issue in Ferree and in light of the several published decisions from
other ci rcuit cou rts o f ap peal, t his C ourt d id not fi nd i t necessa ry or a ppropriate un der t he 1 0th C ircuit rul es t o
citeFerree in the Memorandum Opinion.

Third, the Defendant argues that the Court misinterpreted the law in stating that the time period to respond to the
complaint i s "st atutorily ext ended" upon a request by a c onsumer fo r t he val idation of his de bt. T he De fendant
argues that the statute does not specifically extend the *540 Debtor's time to answer, but rather precludes the debt
collector from seeking a default. This appears to be the Defendant's third interpretation of how a validation request
would have affected the Debtor's obligation to answer the complaint. As noted in the Memorandum Opinion, at the
January 8, 2001 hearing, the Defendant's attorney could not state with certainty when the Debtor would have been
required t o answer th e Co mplaint if he ex ercised hi s rights under t he validation notice. At t he Fe bruary 12th
hearing, counsel suggested that if uncertain, the Debtor could file an answer on the 30th day. Now, the Defendant
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appears to be arguing that the Defendant was required to answer in 30 days, arguing that the statute affected only the
Defendant's right to proceed with collection if a validation letter was sent, not the Debtor's obligation to answer.

Rather than supporting a request for reconsideration, the Court finds this argument to be yet a fu rther indication of
the problem created by the Defe ndant's d ecision to in clude th e FDCPA v alidation no tice with th e su mmons an d
complaint with out an y langu age recon ciling th e potential co nfusion. Whether th e Defendant's interp retation of
1692g(b) is correct or not, it does not change the result. Even if (which is not concede d) the Court was incorrect in
stating in its Memorandum Opinion that "as a matter of law, [the time to answer] is statutorily extended if there is a
request for the validation of his debt," the Court's conclusion is unaffected. The notice provided by the Defendant in
the Initial Communication was not effective. See Lamar Advertising of Mobile, Inc. v. City o f Lakeland, Florida,
189 F.R.D. 480, 488 (M.D.Fla.1999) (A motion to reconsider must "set forth facts or law of a strongly convincing
nature to induce the court to reverse its prior decision.") (internal citations omitted.)

In sum, the Plaintiff has raised nothing new in the Motion for Rehearing. There has been no intervening change in
the law, nor the presentation of new evidence. Williamson and Alton are directly on point and binding on this Court.
There has been no manifest injustice. Therefore, it is--

ORDERED that the Defendant's Motion for Rehearing is denied.
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24 ADDITIONAL LAW
Fair Credit Billing from http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fcb.htm
Have you ever been billed for merchandise you returned or never received? Has your credit card
company ever charged you twice for the same item or failed to credit a payment to your account? While
frustrating, these errors can be corrected. It takes a little patience and knowledge of the dispute
settlement procedures provided by the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA).
The law applies to "open end" credit accounts, such as credit cards, and revolving charge accounts - such
as department store accounts. It does not cover installment contracts - loans or extensions of credit you
repay on a fixed schedule. Consumers often buy cars, furniture and major appliances on an installment
basis, and repay personal loans in installments as well.
What types of disputes are covered?
The FCBA settlement procedures apply only to disputes about "billing errors." For example:
• unauthorized charges. Federal law limits your responsibility for unauthorized charges to $50;
• charges that list the wrong date or amount;
• charges for goods and services you didn't accept or weren't delivered as agreed;
• math errors;
• failure to post payments and other credits, such as returns;
• failure to send bills to your current address - provided the creditor receives your change of address, in
writing, at least 20 days before the billing period ends; and
• charges for which you ask for an explanation or written proof of purchase along with a claimed error
or request for clarification.
To take advantage of the law's consumer protections, you must:
• write to the creditor at the address given for "billing inquiries," not the address for sending your
payments, and include your name, address, account number and a description of the billing error.
• send your letter so that it reaches the creditor within 60 days after the first bill containing the error was
mailed to you.
Send your letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you have proof of what the creditor
received. Include copies (not originals) of sales slips or other documents that support your position. Keep
a copy of your dispute letter.
The creditor must acknowledge your complaint in writing within 30 days after receiving it, unless the
problem has been resolved. The creditor must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles (but not more
than 90 days) after receiving your letter.
Date
Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip Code
Your Account Number
Name of Creditor
Billing Inquiries
Address
City, State, Zip Code
Dear Sir or Madam:
I am writing to dispute a billing error in the amount of $______on my account. The amount is
inaccurate because (describe the problem). I am requesting that the error be corrected, that any
finance and other charges related to the disputed amount be credited as well, and that I receive an
accurate statement.
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Enclosed are copies of (use this sentence to describe any enclosed information, such as sales slips,
payment records) supporting my position. Please investigate this matter and correct the billing error as
soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Your name
Enclosures: (List what you are enclosing.)

What happens while my bill is in dispute?
You may withhold payment on the disputed amount (and related charges), during the investigation. You
must pay any part of the bill not in question, including finance charges on the undisputed amount.
The creditor may not take any legal or other action to collect the disputed amount and related charges
(including finance charges) during the investigation. While your account cannot be closed or restricted,
the disputed amount may be applied against your credit limit.
Will my credit rating be affected?
The creditor may not threaten your credit rating or report you as delinquent while your bill is in dispute.
However, the creditor may report that you are challenging your bill. In addition, the Equal Credit
Opportunity Act prohibits creditors from discriminating against credit applicants who exercise their rights,
in good faith, under the FCBA. Simply put, you cannot be denied credit simply because you've disputed a
bill.
What if...
...the bill is incorrect?
If your bill contains an error, the creditor must explain to you - in writing - the corrections that will be made
to your account. In addition to crediting your account, the creditor must remove all finance charges, late
fees or other charges related to the error.
If the creditor determines that you owe a portion of the disputed amount, you must get a written
explanation. You may request copies of documents proving you owe the money.
...the bill is correct?
If the creditor's investigation determines the bill is correct, you must be told promptly and in writing how
much you owe and why. You may ask for copies of relevant documents. At this point, you'll owe the
disputed amount, plus any finance charges that accumulated while the amount was in dispute. You also
may have to pay the minimum amount you missed paying because of the dispute.
If you disagree with the results of the investigation, you may write to the creditor, but you must act within
10 days after receiving the explanation, and you may indicate that you refuse to pay the disputed amount.
At this point, the creditor may begin collection procedures. However, if the creditor reports you to a credit
bureau as delinquent, the report also must state that
you don't think you owe the money. The creditor must tell you who gets these reports.
...the creditor fails to follow the procedure?
Any creditor who fails to follow the settlement procedure may not collect the amount in dispute, or any
related finance charges, up to $50, even if the bill turns out to be correct. For example, if a creditor
acknowledges your complaint in 45 days - 15 days too late - or takes more than two billing cycles to
resolve a dispute, the penalty applies. The penalty also applies if a creditor threatens to report - or
improperly reports - your failure to pay to anyone during the dispute period.
An important caveat
Disputes about the quality of goods and services are not "billing errors," so the dispute procedure does
not apply. However, if you buy unsatisfactory goods or services with a credit or charge card, you can take
the same legal actions against the card issuer as you can take under state law against the seller.
To take advantage of this protection regarding the quality of goods or services, you must:
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• have made the purchase (it must be for more than $50) in your home state or within 100 miles of
your current billing address;
• make a good faith effort to resolve the dispute with the seller first.
The dollar and distance limitations don't apply if the seller also is the card issuer - or if a special business
relationship exists between the seller and the card issuer.
Other billing rights
Businesses that offer "open end" credit also must:
• give you a written notice when you open a new account - and at certain other times - that
describes your right to dispute billing errors;
• provide a statement for each billing period in which you owe - or they owe you - more than one
dollar;
• send your bill at least 14 days before the payment is due - if you have a period within which to
pay the bill without incurring additional charges;
• credit all payments to your account on the date they're received, unless no extra charges would
result if they failed to do so. Creditors are permitted to set some reasonable rules for making
payments, say setting a reasonable deadline for payment to be received to be credited on the
same date; and
• promptly credit or refund overpayments and other amounts owed to your account. This applies to
instances where your account is owed more than one dollar. Your account must be credited
promptly with the amount owed. If you prefer a refund, it must be sent within seven business days
after the creditor receives your written request. The creditor must also make a good faith effort to
refund a credit balance that has remained on your account for more than six months.
Suing the creditor
You can sue a creditor who violates the FCBA. If you win, you may be awarded damages, plus twice the
amount of any finance charge - as long as it's between $100 and $1,000. The court also may order the
creditor to pay your attorney's fees and costs.
If possible, hire a lawyer who is willing to accept the amount awarded to you by the court as the entire fee
for representing you. Some lawyers may not take your case unless you agree to pay their fee - win or
lose - or add to the court-awarded amount if they think it's too low.
Reporting FCBA violations
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces the FCBA for most creditors except banks. The FTC
works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace
and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free
information on consumer issues, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or use the complaint
form at www.ftc.gov. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related
complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal
law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
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http://www.edcombs.com/CM/News/news7.asp
FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT UPDATE -- 1999 *
DANIEL A. EDELMAN
September 25, 1999
© Daniel A. Edelman 1999
*This article is reproduced here without the supporting footnotes. For the entire article with the
supporting materials, please contact Edelman, Combs & Latturner .
I. INTRODUCTION
This article provides an overview of recent developments concerning the application of the Fair Debt
Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. §1692 et seq. ("FDCPA") (the full text is in an appendix). The statute
regulates the conduct of "debt collectors" in collecting "debts" owed or allegedly owed by "consumers." It
is designed to protect consumers from unscrupulous collectors, whether or not there is a valid debt. The
FDCPA broadly prohibits unfair or unconscionable collection methods; conduct which harasses,
oppresses or abuses any debtor; and any false, deceptive or misleading statements, in connection with the
collection of a debt; it also requires debt collectors to give debtors certain information. 15 U.S.C.
§§1692d, 1692e, 1692f and 1692g.
In enacting the FDCPA, Congress recognized the "universal agreement among scholars, law enforcement
officials, and even debt collectors that the number of persons who willfully refuse to pay just debts is
minuscule [sic] ... [T]he vast majority of consumers who obtain credit fully intend to repay their debts.
When default occurs, it is nearly always due to an unforeseen event such as unemployment,
overextension, serious illness, or marital difficulties or divorce."
The FDCPA is liberally construed in favor of the consumer to effectuate its purposes.
Statutory damages are recoverable for violations, whether or not the consumer proves actual damages.
II. STATUTORY COVERAGE AND DEFINITIONS
WHAT IS A "DEBT"
"Debt" is defined as "any obligation or alleged obligation of a consumer to pay money arising out of a
transaction in which the money, property, insurance or services which are the subject of the transaction
are primarily for personal, family, or household purposes, whether or not such obligation has been
reduced to judgment." 15 U.S.C. §1692a(5) (emphasis added). Business and agricultural loans are
therefore not "debts" covered by the FDCPA. A personal guaranty of a business loan is also not covered.
The following are areas of recent litigation activity concerning what is a "debt":
DISHONORED CHECKS
In recent years there has been a substantial amount of litigation concerning whether dishonored checks
are "debts" within the meaning of the FDCPA. The statutory definitions clearly encompass dishonored
checks, in that liability on such a check is an "alleged obligation . . . to pay money arising out of a
transaction", subject to the FDCPA if the "property . . . which [is] the subject of the transaction" was
"primarily for personal, family, or household purposes."
The only appellate courts to have addressed the issue have held that dishonored checks are debts. In Bass
v. Stolper, Koritzinsky, Brewster & Neider, S.C., a divided Seventh Circuit held:
Resorting to legislative history is unnecessary here, however, because the language in the statute's
definition of "debt" is plain.
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A "debt," the collection of which is governed by the FDCPA, is defined in the Act as:
any obligation or alleged obligation of a consumer to pay money arising out of a transaction in which the
money, property, insurance, or services which are the subject of the transaction are primarily for personal,
family, or household purposes, whether or not such obligation has been reduced to judgment.
15 U.S.C. §1692a(5). Appellants would have us read into this definition the additional requirement that
the debt flow from a specific type of consumer transaction -- one involving the offer or extension of
credit. However, we see no language in the Act's definition of "debt" (or any other section of the Act) that
mentions, let alone requires, that the debt arise from an extension of credit. Nor do we find patent
ambiguity in the definition of "debt." The definition is not "beset with internal inconsistencies [or] . . .
burdened with vocabulary that escapes common understanding." [citation] In the absence of ambiguity,
our inquiry is at an end, and we must enforce the congressional intent embodied in the plain wording of
the statute. [citation]
On the contrary, the plain language of the Act defines "debt" quite broadly as "any obligation to pay
arising out of a [consumer] transaction." In examining this definition, we first focus on the clear and
absolute language in the phrase, "any obligation to pay." Such absolute language may not be alternatively
read to reference only a limited set of obligations as appellants suggest. [citation] As long as the
transaction creates an obligation to pay, a debt is created. We harbor no doubt that a check evidences the
drawer's obligation to pay for the purchases made with the check, and should the check be dishonored, the
payment obligation remains. [citation]
Bass was followed by a later Seventh Circuit decision, Ryan v. Wexler & Wexler, by the Ninth Circuit, in
Charles v. Lundgren & Associates, P.C. by the Eighth Circuit, in Duffy v. Landber, and by the Tenth
Circuit in Snow v. Riddle. The Sixth Circuit and the Ohio Court of Appeals, in two related cases, also
held that a dishonored check is covered. Remarkably, the Sixth Circuit decision was marked not for
publication.
Finally, an Eleventh Circuit decision addressing whether obligations arising from an auto rental are
"debts" approved the reasoning of Bass and held that an extension of credit is not required under the
FDCPA. A subsequent Eleventh Circuit decision states in dicta that a check is a debt.
The overwhelming majority of lower court decisions either hold that dishonored checks issued by the
debtor for consumer goods or services fall within the FDCPA or apply the FDCPA to such debts. The
legislative history of the FDCPA clearly states that dishonored checks are covered. The Report of the
House Banking Committee accompanying H.R. 5294 states:
Opponents of this legislation claim that, regardless of the amount of consumer harassment or deception,
there should be no legislation because the number of unpaid bills and bad checks keeps increasing. This
reasoning is misleading. The issue is not one of uncollected debts, but rather whether or not consumers
must lose their civil rights and be terrorized and abused by unethical debt collectors.
The House Report also stated that "the committee intends that the term 'debt' include consumer
obligations paid by check or other non-credit consumer obligations."
Similarly, the hearings on the FDCPA contain discussion of the effect of the proposed legislation on
checks. Indeed, the American Collectors Association representative submitted a statement which
complained that the proposed legislation "would make it more difficult for financial collection services to
collect or attempt to collect bad checks."
The Federal Trade Commission has also consistently held that checks are subject to the FDCPA. The FTC
Staff Commentary on the FDCPA illustrates the definition of "debt" with the example of an NSF check
used to purchase goods or services intended for household or personal use. The Commission itself has
adopted this position in a ruling denying a petition to quash a subpoena served on a debt collector
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specializing in dishonored checks. The FTC has also brought several civil actions against debt collectors
based on attempts to collect dishonored checks.
However, debt collectors persistently claim that a dishonored check is not a "debt," and occasional cases
have agreed with them. Their basic argument is that the definition of "credit" in the Truth in Lending Act
("TILA") should be used to limit the definition of "debt" in the FDCPA. They rely on Zimmerman v.
HBO Affiliate Group, for this proposition. In Zimmerman, the Third Circuit affirmed dismissal of
plaintiff's FDCPA complaint based on a demand letter sent to persons who allegedly intercepted cable
signals. The court found that the illegal interception of signals was not a consensual "transaction" and
therefore was not covered by the FDCPA's definition of debt.
We find that the type of transaction which may give rise to a "debt" as defined in the FDCPA, is the same
type of transaction as it dealt with in all other subchapters of the Consumer Credit Protection Act, i.e., one
involving the offer or extension of credit to a consumer. Specifically it is a transaction in which a
consumer is offered or extended to acquire "money property, insurance, or services" which are "primarily
for household purposes" and to defer payment.
There was no issue as to whether issuance of a check to pay for goods or services is an FDCPA
"transaction."
The Zimmerman dicta regarding the extension of credit is wrong. While the Zimmerman court referred
generally to FDCPA "transactions" as involving the same sort of circumstances as other matters regulated
by the Consumer Credit Protection Act, the CCPA includes far more than just TILA and clearly
encompasses consensual "transactions" that do not involve loans or credit sales. The FDCPA definition of
"creditor" is clearly broader than the TILA definition, in that it includes not only someone who "offers or
extends credit" but anyone to "whom a debt is owed." For this reason, four other Courts of Appeals have
disapproved the implementation of the above-quoted language in Zimmerman.
Check guaranty companies are statutory "debt collectors" because the check was in default at the time it
was acquired by the guaranty company.
The statutory liability of a prior endorser on a check which is deposited or cashed and returned for
insufficient funds may not be a "debt," if there is no purchase of goods or services for consumer purposes.
RENT, CONDOMINIUM ASSESSMENTS
An issue closely analogous to the dishonored check issue is presented by attempts to collect rent and
condominium assessments. There is no extension of credit in the sense of incurring an obligation and
repaying it over time with interest. Nevertheless, the consumer incurs an obligation to pay money in the
future as part of a consensual transaction.
In Newman v. Boehm, Pearlstein & Bright, the Seventh Circuit had no difficulty in concluding that
condominium assessments were FDCPA "debts:"
By paying the purchase price and accepting title to their home, the Riters became bound by the
Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions of their homeowners association, which required
the payment of regular and special assessments imposed by the association. . . . It is therefore clear that
the obligation to pay in these circumstances arose in connection with the purchase of the homes
themselves, even if the timing and amount of particular assessments was yet to be determined. . . .
Because the statute's definition of a "debt" focuses on the transaction creating the obligation to pay (Bass,
111 F.3d at 1325), it would seem to make little difference under that definition that unit owners generally
are required to pay their assessments first, before any goods or services are provided by the association.
That would only be important if the statute required a credit obligation, which Bass says it does not. 111
F.3d at 1326. Regardless of whether the assessment or the service comes first, the obligation to pay is
derived from the purchase transaction itself. The assessments at issue in this case therefore qualify as
"obligations of a consumer to pay money arising out of a transaction." 15 U.S.C. §1692a(5).
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Other recent decisions reach the same conclusion.
Other claims for money pursuant to a lease are also covered. In Brown v. Budget Rent-A-Car Systems,
Inc., the Eleventh Circuit held that a claim by a car rental company against a consumer renter for property
damage to the rented vehicle was covered by the FDCPA, even though no extension of credit was
involved:
Does a "debt" require the extension of credit? We start with the plain language of the statute. See Holly
Farms Corp. v. NLRB, 517 U.S. 392 (1996). The only relevant reference to an extension of credit in the
Act is in the definition of "creditor." The Act defines "creditor" in the disjunctive. As "a general rule, the
use of a disjunctive in a statute indicates alternatives and requires that those alternatives be treated
separately. Hence, language in a clause following a disjunctive is considered inapplicable to the subject
matter of the preceding clause." Quindlen v. Prudential Ins. Co. of America, 482 F.2d 876, 878 (5th Cir.
1973).
The Seventh Circuit recently provided a thorough analysis of the definition of debt as used in the FDCPA.
In Bass v. Stolper, Koritzinsky, Brewster & Neider, S.C., 111 F.3d 1322 (7th Cir. 1997), the parties
disputed whether a dishonored check created debt that would invoke the protections of the FDCPA. The
Bass court found that the payment obligation which arose from a dishonored check constitutes a debt as
defined in the Act. Id. at 1325. The court commented on the broad definition of debt in the Act and
reasoned that "as long as the transaction creates an obligation to pay, a debt is created." Id. We agree with
that reading of the statute. Extension of credit is not a prerequisite to the existence of a debt covered by
the FDCPA. Budget's assertion that Brown is obligated as a result of consumer transaction suffices to
bring the obligation within the ambit of the FDCPA. See 15 U.S.C. §1692a(5)
It should be noted that the claim was against the renter: claims against tortfeasors who have no
contractual relationship with the creditor are generally not thought to be covered by the FDCPA.
In Romea v. Heiberger & Associates, the court held that unpaid apartment rentals were a "debt," no
extension of credit being necessary under Bass. The court further held that a statutory eviction notice is
subject to the Act:
Defendant argues also that the Section 711 notice was not a communication to collect a debt within the
meaning of the statute. Section 1692a(11) defines "communication" as "the conveying of information
regarding a debt directly or indirectly to any person through any medium. In view of the fact that the
Section 711 notice demanded payment on pain of the commencement of eviction proceedings, there is no
colorable argument that it does not satisfy the FDCPA's sweeping definition of communication.
In Travieso v. Gutman, Judge Weinstein of the Eastern District of New York likewise held that apartment
rent was a "debt" to which the FDCPA applied. "[R]ent clearly fits the definition of debt embodied in the
FDCPA." However, there are several district court decisions and a Florida appellate decision to the
contrary.

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http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/consumer_credit.html

Federal Material
Federal Statutes
• Consumer Credit Protection Act - 15 U.S. Code, Chapter 41
• Truth In Lending Act - 15 U.S.C. § 1601.
• Fair Credit Reporting Act - 15 U.S.C. §§ 1681
• Fair Credit Billing Act - 15 U.S.C. § 1637
• Equal Credit Opportunity Act - 15 U.S.C. §§ 1691 - 1691e.
• The Fair Credit Debt Collection Act - 15 U.S.C. §§ 1692 - 1692o.
Federal Agency Regulations
• Code of Federal Regulations: 12 C.F.R. - Banks and Banking
Federal Judicial Decisions
• U.S. Supreme Court: Recent Decisions on Consumer Credit
• U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals: Recent Decisions on Consumer Credit
State Material
State Statutes
• Uniform Commercial Code - (As Adopted by Particular States)
• Uniform Consumer Credit Code
• New York law governing Unauthorized or Improper Use of Credit Cards and Debit Cards - New
York General Business Law §§ 511 et seq.
• New York law governing Debt Collection Procedures - New York General Business Law §§ 600
et seq.
• New York law governing Consumer Credit Balances - New York General Business Law §§ 710 et
seq.
• California law governing credit cards and various other aspects of consumer credit - California
Civil Code §§ 1747 et seq.
• California law governing fees in consumer credit agreements and related consumer protections -
California Financial Code §§ 4000 et seq.
• California law governing credit cards - California Civil Code §§ 1747 et seq.
State Judicial Decisions
• N.Y. Court of Appeals:
o Decisions on Consumer Credit
o Commentary from liibulletin-ny
• Appellate Decisions from Other States
Other References
Key Internet Sources
• Consumer Law Page
• U.S. Federal Trade Commission
• Consumer Handbook to Credit Protection Laws (on-line pamphlet from the Federal Reserve)
• Nolo Legal Encyclopedia
• freeadvice.com: Credit Problems and Lawyers, Creditors’ Rights
• It’s Legal!
• National Foundation for Consumer Credit
• Consumer Credit Guide
• House Committee on Banking and Financial Services (includes information from Subcommittee
on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit)
• ILRG Legal Forms Archive: Credit and Collection, Loans and Borrowing
Useful Offnet (or Subscription - $) Sources
• Good Starting Point in Print: Dee Pridgen, Consumer Credit and the Law, Clark Boardman
Callaghan, West Group (1986, looseleaf, updated annually)
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25  GEN ED 
 
The following two postings, while containing material that may already be familiar to many of our 
readers, will be "Eye-opening" for others.  While we don't necessarily agree with or endorse all of the 
views of Pastor Sheldon Emry, the author of this item, or his ministry, we do feel that the research upon 
which he based this pamphlet was meticulous, useful and worthy of being widely shared. 
 John Whitley, Editor 
 NEW WORLD ORDER INTELLIGENCE UPDATE 
--o0o-- 
TRANSCRIBER'S FOREWORD 
The following pamphlet was written in 1989 by a minister (now deceased) who had the courage and 
inspiration to explain in very simple and uncluttered language -- how it is that we are presently being 
ENSLAVED and IMPOVERISHED by the current "debt-usury banking system" that we have. 
It was written for a predominately Christian audience (which may or may not be your cup of tea), and 
some of the information 
may be a little dated (the figures for the debt, for example, have increased astronomically since it was 
penned) but regardless of that -- it is a clear and URGENT message that needs to be listened to by the 
American people. 
Keep in mind, also, that according to William Cooper ("Behold a Pale Horse" p. 80-81) -- in the year 
1952, an alliance was formed between all the various groups that are working for total financial 
enslavement of the worlds' peoples: The Illuminati, Knights of Malta, Freemasons, European and 
Continental Banking Families, etc..  Thus, it is NOT any one group or subgroup of this alliance (referred 
to as the "Bankers" in the text) that is doing it to us.   
There is no copyright to this information. Print out a copy and share it with your friends! 
--o0o-- 
BILLIONS FOR THE BANKERS AND DEBTS FOR THE PEOPLE 
[Part 1 of 2] 
A Study By 
Pastor Sheldon Emry 
"For the love of money is the root of all evil..." 
 1 Timothy 6:10 
[There is NO COPYRIGHT on this information.  Please re-post it freely  
and widely.  It needs to be in the hands of every American citizen!] 
  
INTRODUCTION 
“The love of money is the root of all evil": (1 Timothy 6:10) 
"If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him an usurer, neither 
shalt thou lay upon him usury."  Exodus 22:25 
"Take no usury of him, or increase thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury."  Leviticus 25:36-37 
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"Unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: That the Lord they God bless thee." Deut. 23:20
In the early Church, any interest on debt was considered usury. Read below to see what interest (usury) on
debts, a violation of God's Law, is doing to America.
--o0o--
THE NEWS Lynchburg, Va., Sat., March 26, 1977
THE NATIONAL DEBT
In 1901 the national debt of the United States was less than $1 billion. It stayed at less than $1 billion
until we got into World War I. Then, it jumped to $25 billion.
Between 1918 and 1941, on the eve of World War II, the national debt just about doubled -- from $25 to
$49 billion. Between 1942 and 1952, the debt went from $72 billion to $265 billion. In 1962 it was $303
billion. Eight years later, in 1970, it was $383 billion.
Between 1971 and 1976 it rose from $409 billion to $631 billion. The estimated debt at the end of this
year [1977] is $727 billion, and next year it is expected to top $800 billion -- having nearly doubled in
the past eight years.
If the present trend continues, and there is no evidence whatsoever that it will not continue, we can
expect the national debt to nearly double again within the next six to eight years. By then, the
INTEREST in the debt alone should be in the $400 billion a year range.
[Transcriber's note: As of 1996, the official debt about 5 TRILLION].
Eventually, the government will own nothing, the people will own nothing, the banks will own
everything.
BILLIONS FOR THE BANKERS
DEBTS FOR THE PEOPLE
[Top of page: A cartoon showing two bankers sitting on top of a private bank tower -- one banker sitting
contentedly in a chair smoking a cigar; the other banker throwing a money windfall up in the air and
saying to the first banker, "IT IS EASY TO ROB THE PEOPLE AND GET RICH. WE JUST LEND
THEM THEIR OWN CREDIT ON PAPER AND CHARGE THEM USURY (INTEREST)."
Beneath the bankers is a door called "loans" showing a $50,000 paper credit "loan" going out of the
bank to a residential home. From the home are $250,000 in payments (30 year payments) flying back to
land on the "tongue" of the voracious "open mouth" of the bank.]
"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their money, first by inflation and
then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them [around the banks], will
deprive the people of their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their
fathers conquered." -- Thomas Jefferson
THREE TYPES OF CONQUEST
History reveals nations can be conquered by the use of one or more of three methods.
The most common is conquest by war. In time, though, this method usually fails, because the captives
hate the captors and rise up and drive them out if they can. Much force is needed to maintain control,
making it expensive for the conquering nation.
A second method is by religion, where men are convinced they must give their captors part of their
earnings as "obedience to God." Such a captivity is vulnerable to philosophical exposure or by overthrow
by armed force, since religion by its nature lacks military force to regain control, once its captives
become "disillusioned."
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The third method can be called economic conquest. It takes place when nations are placed under
"tribute" without the use of visible force or coercion, so that the victims do not realise they have been
conquered.
"Tribute" is collected from them in the form of "legal" debts and taxes, and they believe they are paying
it for their own good, for the good of others, or to protect all from some enemy. Their captors become
their "benefactors" and "protectors".
Although this is the slowest to impose, it is often quite long lasting, as the captives do not see any
military force arrayed against them, their religion is left more or less intact, they have freedom to speak
and to travel, and they participate in "elections" for their rulers. Without realising it, they are conquered,
and the instruments of their own society are used to transfer their wealth to their captors and make the
conquest complete.
In 1900 the average American worker paid few taxes and had little debt. Last year payments on debts
and taxes took more than half of what he earned. Is it possible a form of conquest has been imposed on
our people? Read the following pages and decide for yourself. And may God have mercy on this once
debt-free and great nation, in Christ, -- The Author
BILLIONS FOR THE BANKERS
DEBTS FOR THE PEOPLE
THE REAL STORY OF THE MONEY-CONTROL OVER AMERICA
By Pastor Sheldon Emry
[Cartoon showing a mother standing in front of a judge in divorce court, holding the hand of her
small boy and girl -- with her husband sitting in the witness chair, holding his head in gloom.
The mother says to the judge, "AND JUDGE, WE WERE ALWAYS IN DEBT!."]
* * *
Americans, living in what is called the richest nation on earth, seem always to be short of money. Wives
are working in unprecedented numbers, husbands hope for overtime hours to earn more, or take part-time
jobs evenings and weekends, children look for odd jobs for spending money, the family debt climbs
higher, and psychologists say one of the biggest causes of family quarrels and break-ups is "arguments
over money." Much of this trouble can be traced to our present "debt-money" system.
Too few Americans realise why Christian Statesmen wrote into Article I of the U.S. Constitution:
"Congress shall have the Power to Coin Money and Regulate the Value Thereof."
They did this, as we will show, in prayerful hope that it would prevent "love of money" from destroying
the republic they had founded. We shall see how subversion of Article I has brought on us the "evil" of
which God's Word had warned.
MONEY IS MAN'S ONLY "CREATION"
Economists use the term "create" when speaking of the process by which money comes into existence.
Now, "creation" means making something which did not exist before. Lumbermen make boards from
trees, workers build houses from lumber, and factories manufacture automobiles from metal, glass and
other materials. But in all these they did not "create," They only changed existing materials into a more
usable and, therefore, more valuable form. This is not so with money. Here, and here alone, man
actually "creates" something out of nothing.
A piece of paper of little value is printed so that it is worth a piece of lumber. With different figures it can
buy the automobile or even the house. It's value has been "created" in the true meaning of the word.
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"CREATING" MONEY IS VERY PROFITABLE!
As is seen by the above, money is very cheap to make, and whoever does the "creating" of money in a
nation can make a tremendous profit! Builders work hard to make a profit of 5% above their cost to build
a house.
Auto makers sell their cars for 1% to 2% above the cost of manufacture and it is considered good
business. But money "manufactures" have no limit on their profits, since a few cents will print a $1 bill
or a $10,000 bill.
That profit is part of our story, but first let’s consider another unique characteristic of the thing -- money,
the love of which is the "root of all evil".
ADEQUATE MONEY SUPPLY NEEDED
An adequate supply of money is indispensable to civilised society. We could forego many other things
but without money industry would grind to a halt, farms would become only self-sustaining units, surplus
food would disappear, jobs requiring the work of more than one man or one family would remain undone,
shipping and large movement of goods would cease, hungry people would plunder and kill to remain
alive, and all government except family or tribe would cease to function.
An overstatement, you say? Not at all. Money is the blood of civilised society, the means of all
commercial trade except simple barter. It is the measure and the instrument by which one product is sold
and another purchased. Remove money or even reduce the supply below that which is necessary to carry
on current levels of trade, and the results are catastrophic. For an example, we need only look at
America's Depression of the early 1930's.
THE BANKER'S DEPRESSION OF THE 1930'S
In 1930 America did not lack industrial capacity, fertile farmland, skilled and willing workers or
industrious farm families. It had an extensive and efficient transportation system in railroads, road
networks, and inland and ocean waterways.
Communications between regions and localities were the best in the world, utilising telephone, teletype,
radio, and a well-operated government mail system. No war had ravaged the cities or the countryside, no
pestilence weakened the population, nor had famine stalked the land. The United States of America in
1930 lacked only one thing: an adequate supply of money to carry on trade and commerce.
In the early 1930s, Bankers, the only source of new money and credit, deliberately refused loans to
industries, stores and farms. Payments on existing loans were required however, and money rapidly
disappeared from circulation. Goods were available to be purchased, jobs waiting to be done, but the lack
of money brought the nation to a standstill.
By this simple ploy America was put in a "depression" and the greedy Bankers took possession of
hundreds of thousands of farms, homes, and business properties. The people were told, "times are hard"
and "money is short." Not understanding the system, they were cruelly robbed of their earnings, their
savings, and their property.
MONEY FOR PEACE? NO! MONEY FOR WAR? YES!
World War II ended the "depression." The same Bankers who in the early 30's had no loans for
peacetime houses, food and clothing, suddenly had unlimited billions to lend for Army barracks, K-
rations and uniforms! A nation that in 1934 couldn't produce food for sale, suddenly could produce
bombs to send free to Germany and Japan! (More on this riddle later).
With the sudden increase in money, people were hired, farms sold their produce, factories went to two
shifts, mines re-opened, and "The Great Depression" was over! Some politicians were blamed for it and
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others took credit for ending it. The truth is the lack of money (caused by the Bankers) brought on the
depression, and adequate money ended it.
The people were never told that simple truth and in this article we will endeavour to show how these
same Bankers who control our money and credit have used their control to plunder America and place us
in bondage.
POWER TO COIN AND REGULATE MONEY
When we can see the disastrous results of an artificially created shortage of money, we can better
understand why our Founding Fathers, who understood both money and God's Laws, insisted on placing
the power to "create" money and the power to control it ONLY in the hands of the Federal Congress.
They believed that ALL Citizens should share in the profits of its "creation" and therefore the Federal
government must be the ONLY creator of money. They further believed that ALL citizens, of whatever
State or Territory, or station in life, would benefit by an adequate and stable currency, and therefore, the
national government must also be, by law, the ONLY controller of the value of money.
Since the Federal Congress was the only legislative body subject to all the citizens at the ballot box, it
was, to their minds, the only safe depository of so much profit and so much power. They wrote it out in
the simple, but all inclusive:
"Congress shall have the Power to Coin Money and Regulate the Value Thereof."
HOW THE PEOPLE LOST CONTROL T0 THE FEDERAL RESERVE
Instead of the Constitutional method of creating our money and putting it into circulation, we now have
and entirely unconstitutional system. This has brought our country to the brink of disaster, as we shall
see.
Since our money was handled both legally and illegally before 1913, we shall consider only the years
following 1913, since from that year on, ALL of our money had been created and issued by an illegal
method that will eventually destroy the United States if it is not changed. Prior to 1913, America was a
prosperous, powerful, and growing nation, at peace with its neighbours and the envy of the world. But --
in December of 1913, Congress,
with many members away for the Christmas holidays, passed what has since been known as the
FEDERAL RESERVE ACT. (For the full story of how this infamous legislation was forced through our
Congress, read "Conquest or Consent", by W. D. Vennard).
Omitting the burdensome details, it simply authorised the establishment of a Federal Reserve
Corporation, with a Board of Directors (The Federal Reserve Board) to run it, and the United States was
divided into 12 Federal Reserve "Districts."
This simple, but terrible, law completely removed from Congress the right to "create" money or to have
any control over its "creation", and gave that function to The Federal Reserve Corporation. This was
done with appropriate fanfare and propaganda that this would "remove money from politics" (they didn't
say "and therefore from the people's control") and prevent "Boom and Bust" from hurting our citizens.
The people were not told then, and most still do not know today, that the Federal Reserve Corporation is a
private corporation controlled by bankers and therefore is operated for the financial gain of the bankers
over the people rather than for the good of the people. The word "Federal" was used only to deceive the
people.
MORE DISASTROUS THAN PEARL HARBOR
Since that "day of infamy", more disastrous to us than Pearl Harbor, the small group of "privileged"
people who lend us "our" money have accrued to themselves all of the profits of printing our money --
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and more! Since 1913 they have "created" tens of billions of dollars in money and credit, which, as their
own personal property, they then lend to our government and our people at interest.
"The rich get richer and the poor get poorer" had become the secret policy of the Federal government. An
example of the process of "creation" and its conversion to peoples "debt" will aid our understanding.
THEY PRINT IT -- WE BORROW IT AND PAY THEM INTEREST
We shall start with the need for money. The Federal Government, having spent more than it has taken
from its citizens in taxes, needs, for the sake of illustration, $1,000,000,000. Since it does not have the
money, and Congress has given away its authority to "create" it, the Government must go to the "creators"
for the $1 billion.
But, the Federal Reserve, a private corporation, doesn't just give its money away! The Bankers are
willing to deliver $1,000,000,000 in money or credit to the Federal Government in exchange for the
Government's agreement to pay it back -- with interest. So Congress authorises the Treasury Department
to print $1,000,000,000 in U.S. Bonds, which are then delivered to the Federal Reserve Bankers.
The Federal Reserve then pays the cost of printing the $1 billion (about $1,000) and makes the exchange.
The government then uses the money to pay its obligations. What are the results of this fantastic
transaction? Well, $1 billion in Government bills are paid all right, but the Government has now indebted
the people to the Bankers for $1 billion on which the people must pay interest!
Tens of thousands of such transactions have taken place since 1913 so that by the 1980s, the U.S.
Government is indebted to the Bankers for over $1,000,000,000,000 (trillion), on which the people pay
over $100 billion a year in interest alone with no hope of ever paying off the principal. Supposedly, our
children and following generations will pay forever and forever! (Since this book was printed in 1984,
the national debt has grown to today's 1989 total of approximately 3 trillion dollars.)
[Transcriber's note: As of 1996, it is approximately 5 trillion dollars].
AND THERE'S MORE
You say, "This is terrible!" Yes, it is, but we have shown only part of the sordid story. Under this unholy
system, those United States Bonds have now become "assets" of the Banks in the Reserve System, which
they then use as "reserves" to "create" more "credit" to lend. Current "reserve" requirements allow them
to use that $1 billion in bonds to "create" as much as $15 billion in new "credit" to lend to States,
municipalities, to individuals and businesses.
Added to the original $1 billion, they could have $16 billion of "created credit" out in loans paying them
interest with their only cost being $1,000 for printing the original $1 billion! Since the U.S. Congress has
not issued Constitutional money since 1863 (over 100 years), in order for the people to have money to
carry on trade and commerce they are forced to borrow the "created Credit" of the Monopoly bankers and
pay them usury-interest!
AND THERE'S STILL MORE
In addition to the vast wealth drawn to them through this almost unlimited usury, the Bankers who control
the money at the top are able to approve or disapprove large loans to large and successful corporations to
the extent that refusal of a loan will bring about a reduction in the price that that Corporation's stock sells
for on the market.
After depressing the price, the Bankers' agents buy large blocks of the company's stock, after which the
sometimes multi-million dollar loan is approved, the stock rises, and is then sold for a profit. In this
manner billions of dollars are made with which to buy more stock. This practice is so refined today that
the Federal Reserve Board need only announce to the newspapers an increase or decrease in their
"discount rate" to send stocks up and down as they wish.
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Using this method since 1913, the Bankers and their agents have purchased secret or open control of
almost every large corporation in America. Using that control, they then force the corporations to borrow
huge sums from their banks so that corporate earnings are siphoned off in the form of interest to the
banks. This leaves little as actual "profits" which can be paid as dividends and explains why stock prices
are so depressed, while the banks reap billions in interest from corporate loans. In effect, the bankers get
almost all of the profits, while individual stockholders are left holding the bag.
The millions of working families of America are now indebted to the few thousand Banking families for
twice the assessed value of the entire United States. And these Banking families obtained that debt
against us for the cost of paper, ink, and bookkeeping!
THE INTEREST AMOUNT IS NEVER CREATED
The only way new money (which is not true money, but is "credit" representing a debt), goes into
circulation in America is when it is borrowed from Bankers. When the State and people borrow large
sums, we seem to prosper. However, the bankers "create" only the amount of the principal of each loan,
never the extra amount needed to pay the interest.
Therefore, the new money never equals the new debt added. The amounts needed to pay the interest on
loans is not "created," and therefore does not exist!
Under this kind of a system, where new debt always exceeds the new money no matter how much or how
little is borrowed, the total debt increasingly outstrips the amount of money available to pay the debt. The
people can never, ever get out of debt!
An example will show the viciousness of this usury-debt system with its "built in" shortage of money.
IF $60,000 IS BORROWED, $255,931.20 MUST BE PAID BACK
When a citizen goes to a banker to borrow $60,000 to purchase a home or a farm, the Bank clerk has the
borrower agree to pay back the loan plus interest. At 14% interest for 30 years, the borrower must agree
to pay $710.92 per month for a total of $255,931.20.
The clerk then requires the citizen to assign to the banker the right of ownership of the property if the
borrower does not make the required payments. The bank clerk then gives the borrower a $60,000 check
or a $60,000 deposit slip, crediting the borrower's checking account with $60,000.
The borrower then writes checks to the builder, subcontractors, etc., who in turn write checks. $60,000
of new "chequebook" money is thereby added to the "money in circulation."
However, and this is the fatal flaw in a usury system, the only new money created and put into
circulation is the amount of the loan, $60,000. The money to pay the interest is NOT created, and
therefore was NOT added to "money in circulation."
Even so, this borrower (and those who follow him in ownership of the property) must earn and TAKE
OUT OF CIRCULATION $255,931, almost $200,000 MORE than he put IN CIRCULATION when he
borrowed the original $60,000!
(By the way, it is this interest which cheats all families out of nicer homes. It is not that they cannot
afford them; it is because the Bankers' usury forces them to pay for FOUR homes to get ONE!)
Every new loan puts the same process in operation. Each borrower adds a small sum to the total money
supply when he borrows, but the payments on the loan (because of interest) then deduct a much LARGER
sum from the total money supply.
There is therefore no way all debtors can pay off the money-lenders. As they pay the principal and
interest, the money in circulation disappears.
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All they can do is struggle against each other, borrowing more and more from the money-lenders each
generation. The money lenders (Bankers), who produce nothing of value, slowly, then more rapidly,
gain a death grip on the land, building, and present and future earnings of the whole working population.
Proverbs 22:7 has come to pass in America. The borrowers have become the servants to the lenders. No
wonder God Almighty forbids interest on loans. (See cover again).
SMALL LOANS DO THE SAME THING
If you haven't quite grasped the impact of the above, let us consider a small auto loan for 3 years at 18%
interest. Step 1: Citizen borrows $5,000 and pays it into circulation (it goes to the dealer, factory, miner,
etc.) and signs a note agreeing to pay the Bankers $6,500. Step 2: Citizen pays $180 per month of his
earnings to the Banker. In three years, he will take OUT of circulation $1,500 more than he put IN
circulation.
Every loan of Banker "created" money (credit) causes the same thing to happen. Since this has happened
millions of times since 1913 (and continues today), you can see why America has gone from a
prosperous, debt-free nation to a debt-ridden nation where practically every home, farm and business is
paying usury-tribute to some Banker.
The usury-tribute to the Bankers on personal, local, State and Federal debt totals more than the combined
earnings of 25% of the working people. Soon it will be 50% and continue upward.
THIS IS WHY BANKERS PROSPER IN GOOD TIMES OR BAD
In the millions of transactions made each year like those above, little actual currency changes hands, nor
is it necessary that it do so. 95% of all "cash" transactions in the U. S. are executed by check, so the
Banker is perfectly safe in "creating" that so-called "loan" by writing the check or deposit slip, not against
actual money, but AGAINST YOUR PROMISE TO PAY IT BACK! The cost to him is paper, ink and a
few dollars in salaries and office costs for each transaction. It is "check kiting" on an enormous scale.
The profits increase rapidly, year after year, as shown below.
* * *
[Article from a newspaper:]
"Valley Bank Posts 49% Gain in Profits"
"Gains of 49 percent in net income and 51 percent in operating income were posted last year by Valley
National bank. Those gains brought net income to $33,959,000 in the year ended Dec. 31 and operating
income to $34,459,000. The year before those totals were $22,836,000 and $22,807,000 respectively."
“Bank's Profit Rise 21%"
"Arizona Bank announced on Monday it had achieved a 21.2 percent increase in net income in 1978 over
1977. On the basis of operating income, excluding the 1977 sale of the Arizona Bank Building for
$1,336,368, the bank said the increase was 43.9 percent. Tostenrud said loans and deposits increased in
the last year. Deposits 18.8 percent to $1,353 billion and loans 21.9 percent to $951 million."
* * *
THE COST TO YOU? EVENTUALLY, EVERYTHING!
In 1910 the U. S. Federal debt was only $1 billion, or $12.40 per citizen. State and local debts were
practically non-existent.
By 1920, after only six years of Federal Reserve shenanigans, the Federal debt had jumped to $24 billion,
or $228 per person, and State and local debts were mushrooming.
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By 1981 the Federal debt passed $1 trillion and was growing exponentially as the Bankers tripled the
interest rates. State and local debts are now MORE than the Federal, and with businesses and personal
debts totalled over $6 trillion, three times the value of all land and buildings in America.
If we signed over to the money-lenders of all of America we would still owe them more two more
Americas (plus their usury, or course!).
However, they are too cunning to take the title to everything. They instead leave you with some "illusion
of ownership" so you and your children will continue to work and pay the Bankers more of your earnings
on ever increasing debts. The "establishment" has captured our people with their ungodly system of
usury and debt as certainly as if they had marched in with an uniformed army.
To understand that it really is a "conquest," go back to the front and read the "Three Types of Conquest"
again.
The borrower must pay back MORE then he borrowed, so bankers ALWAYS get more than they lend!
FOR THE GAMBLERS AMONG MY READERS
To grasp the truth that periodic withdrawal or money through interest payments will inexorably transfer
all wealth in the nation to the receiver of interest, imagine yourself in a poker or dice game where
everyone must buy the chips (the medium of exchange) from a "banker" who does not risk chips in the
game, but watches the table and every hour reaches in and takes 10% to 15% of all the chips on the table.
As the game goes on, the amount of chips in the possession of each player will go up and down with his
luck. However, the TOTAL number of chips available to play the game (carry on trade and business)
will decrease rapidly.
The game will get low on chips, and some will run out. If they want to continue to play, they must buy or
borrow them from the "banker". The "banker" will sell (lend) them ONLY if the player signs a
"mortgage" agreeing to give the "banker" some real property (car, home, farm, business, etc.) if he
cannot make periodic payments to pay back all the chips plus some EXTRA ones (interest). The
payments must be made on time, whether he wins (makes a profit) or not.
It is easy to see that no matter how skilfully they play, eventually the "banker" will end up with all of his
original chips back, and except for the very best players, the rest, if they stay in long enough, will lose to
the "banker" their homes, their farms, their businesses, perhaps even their cars, watches, rings, and the
shirts off their backs!
Our real life situation is MUCH WORSE than any poker game. In a poker game none is forced to go into
debt, and anyone can quit at any time and keep whatever he still has. But in real life, even if we borrow
little ourselves from the "bankers," the local, State and Federal governments borrow billions in our name,
squander it, then confiscate our earnings from us and pay it back to the Bankers with interest.
We are forced to play the game, and none can leave except by death. We pay as long as we live, and our
children pay after we die. If we cannot pay, the same government sends the police to take our property
and give it to the Bankers. The bankers risk nothing in the game; they just collect their percentage and
"win it all." In Las Vegas and at other gambling centers, all games are "rigged" to pay the owner a
percentage, and they rake in millions...The Federal Reserve Bankers' "game" is also rigged, and it pays
off in billions!
In recent years, Bankers have added real "cards" to their game. "Credit" cards are promoted as a
convenience and a great boon to trade. Actually, they are ingenious devices by which Bankers collect 2%
to 5% of every retail sale from the seller and 18% interest from buyers. A real "stacked" deck!
[End of Part 1 of 2]

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BILLIONS FOR THE BANKERS AND DEBTS FOR THE PEOPLE
[Part 2 of 2]
A Study by Pastor Sheldon Emry
YES, IT'S POLITICAL, TOO!
Democrat, Republican, and independent voters who have wondered why politicians always spend more
tax money than they take in should now see the reason. When they begin to study our "debt-money"
system, they soon realise that these politicians are not the agents of the people but are the agents of the
Bankers, for whom they plan ways to place the people further in debt.
It takes only a little imagination to see that if Congress had been "creating," spending and issuing into
circulation the necessary increase in the money supply, THERE WOULD BE NO NATIONAL DEBT
and the over $4 Trillion of other debts would be practically non-existent. Since there would be no
ORIGINAL cost of money except printing, and no continuing costs such as interest, Federal taxes would
be almost nil. Money, once in circulation, would remain there and go on serving its purpose as a medium
of exchange for generation after generation and century after century, with no payments to the Bankers
whatsoever!
MOUNTING DEBTS AND WARS
But instead of peace and debt-free prosperity, we have ever-mounting debt periodic wars. We as a
people are now ruled by a system of Banker-owned Mammon that has usurped the mantle of government,
disguised itself as our legitimate government, and set about to pauperize and control our people.
It is now a centralised, all-powerful political apparatus whose main purposes are promoting war,
confiscating the people's money, and propagandising to perpetuate itself in power. Our two large political
parties have become its servants, the various departments of government its spending agencies, and the
Internal Revenue Service is its collection agency.
Unknown to the people, it operates in close co-operation with similar apparatuses in other nations, which
are also disguised as "governments."
Some, we are told, are friends. Some, we are told, are enemies. "Enemies" are built up through
international manipulations and used to frighten the American people into going billions of dollars more
into debt to the bankers for "military preparedness," "foreign aid to stop communism," "minority rights"
etc.
Citizens, deliberately confused by brainwashing propaganda, watch helplessly while our politicians give
food, goods, and money toBanker-controlled alien governments under the guise of "better relations" and
"easing tensions." Our Banker-controlled government takes our finest and bravest sons and sends them
into foreign wars with obsolete equipment and inadequate training, where tens of thousands are murdered,
and hundreds of thousands are crippled. Other thousands are morally corrupted, addicted to drugs, and
infected with venereal and other diseases, which they bring back to the United States.
When the "war" is over, we have gained nothing, but we are scores of billions of dollars more in debt to
the bankers, which was the reason for the "war" in the first place!
AND THERE'S MORE
The profits from these massive debts have been used to erect a complete and almost hidden economic
and political colossus over our nation. They keep telling us they are trying to do us "good," when in truth
they work to bring harm and injury to our people. These would-be despots know it is easier to control
and rob an ill, poorly-educated and confused people than it is a healthy and intelligent population, so they
deliberately prevent real cures for diseases, they degrade our educational systems, and they stir up social
and racial unrest. For the same reason they favour drug use, alcohol, sexual promiscuity, abortion,
pornography, and crime. Everything which debilitates the minds and bodies of the people is secretly
encouraged, as it makes the people less able to oppose them or even to understand what is being done to
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them. Family, morals, love of Country, the Christian religion, all that is honourable is being swept away,
while they try to build their new, subservient man.
Our new "rulers" are trying to change our whole cultural, social, religious, and political order, but they
will not change the debt- money economic system by which they run and rule. Our people have become
tenants and "debt-slaves" to the Bankers and their agents in the land our fathers conquered. It is conquest
through the most gigantic fraud and swindle in the history of mankind.
And we need to remind you again: The key to their wealth and power over us is their ability to create
"money" out of nothing and lend it to us at interest. If they had not been allowed to do that, they would
never would have gained secret control of our nation. How true Solomon's words are:
"The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is
servant to the lender." Proverbs 22.7
Let us now consider the correct method of providing the medium of exchange (money) needed by our
people.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL WAY -- EVERY CITIZEN A STOCKHOLDER
If we would have used the Constitutional way of "creating" the money needed in the nation, the Federal
Congress would spend most of its time and study on the issuance and control of an adequate supply of
stable money for the people.
If an increase of population and production required an increase in the medium of exchange, Congress
would authorise the "coining," (i.e., printing) of the determined amount. Some could be used to pay
current legitimate expenses of the Federal Government, with the balance paid directly to the citizens.
Records for payment would be similar to Social Security records, except a citizen would be recorded at
birth, instead of when he first goes to work. Each person on the records as of the date of the
Congressional authorisation would receive an equal amount just as of he were a stockholder holding one
share. Just think -- a payment of only $20 to each citizen would put $4 billion of debt-free and interest-
free money into circulation.
Such a suggestion always scares the Bankers. Their propagandists will immediately cry "printing press
money," and warn that it would soon be "worthless" and would cause "inflation."
The truth is their immense usury charges on their "created" credit (our debt) is the sole cause of
"inflation." All prices on all industry, trade and labour must be realised periodically to pay the ever
increasing usury charges. That is the ONLY cause of higher prices, and the money-changers spend
millions in propaganda to keep you from realising that.
The money-creators (Bankers) know that if we ever tried a Constitutional issue of debt-free, interest-free
currency, even a limited issue, the benefits would be apparent immediately. That they must prevent.
Abraham Lincoln was the last President to issue such debt-free and interest-free currency (in 1863) and he
was assassinated shortly thereafter.
[Transcriber's note: JFK also made an issue of some
interest-free U.S. Treasury currency notes in 1963,
and he quickly met the same fate as Lincoln].
NO BANKS PLUNDER
Under the Constitutional system, no private banks would exist to rob the people. Government banks
under the control of the people's representatives would issue and control all money and credit. They
would issue not only actual currency, but could lend limited credit at no interest for the purchase of
capital goods, such as homes.
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A $60,000 loan would require only $60,000 repayment, not $255,931 as it is now. Everyone who
supplied materials and labour for the home would get paid just as they do today, but the bankers would
NOT get $195,931 in interest. AND THAT IS WHY THEY RIDICULE AND DESTROY ANYONE
SUGGESTING GOVERNMENT (CITIZENS') MONEY WITHOUT INTEREST AND WITHOUT
DEBT.
History tells us of debt-free and interest-free money issued by governments. The American colonies did it
through colonial script in the 1700's and their wealth soon rivalled that of England and brought
restrictions from Parliament, which led to the Revolutionary War.
Abraham Lincoln did it in 1863 to help finance the Civil War. He was later assassinated by an agent of
the Rothschild Bank. No debt-free or interest-free money has been issued in America since then. Several
Arab nations issue interest free loans to their citizens today.
The Saracen Empire forbade interest on money 1,000 years ago and its wealth outshone even Saxon
Europe. Mandarin China issued its own money, interest-free and debt-free and historians and collectors
of art today consider those centuries to be China's time of greatest wealth, culture, and peace.
Germany issued debt-free and interest-free money from 1935 on, accounting for its startling rise from the
depression to a world power in 5 years. Germany financed its entire government and war operation from
1935 to 1945 without gold and without debt, and it took the whole Capitalist and Communist world to
destroy the German power over Europe and bring Europe back under the heel of the bankers. Such
history of money does not even appear in the textbooks of public (government) schools today. [This is not
intended to convey any approval of the repugnant policies of Nazi Germany or its leadership, but merely
to cite an historical example of a nation which, for a short time, escaped from the debt system and
repudiated it.]
Issuing money which does not have to be paid back in interest leaves the money available to use in the
exchange of goods and services and services, and its only continuing cost is replacement as the paper
wears out. Money is the paper ticket by which transfers are made and should always be in sufficient
quantity to transfer all possible production of the nation to the ultimate consumers.
It is as ridiculous for a nation to say to its citizens, "You must consume less because we are short of
money," as it would be for an airline to say, "Our planes are flying, but we cannot take you because we
are short of tickets."
STABLE MONEY
Money, issued in such a way, would derive its value in exchange from the fact that it had come from the
highest legal source in the nation and would be declared legal to pay all public and private debts.
Issued by a sovereign nation, not in danger of collapse, it would need no gold or silver or other so-called
"precious" metals to back it.
As history shows, the stability and responsibility of government issuing it is the deciding factor in the
acceptance of that government's currency -- not gold, silver, or iron buried in some hole in the ground.
Proof is America's currency today. Our gold and silver are practically gone, but our currency is accepted.
But if the government was about to collapse our currency would be worthless.
Also, money issued through the people's legitimate government would not be under the control of a
privately owned corporation whose individual owners benefit by causing the money amount and value to
fluctuate and the people to go into debt.
Under the present debt-usury system, the extra burden of usury forces workers and businesses to
demand more money for the work and goods to pay their ever-increasing debts and taxes. This increase
in prices and wages is called "inflation." Bankers, politicians and "economists" blame it on everything
but the real cause, which is the usury levied on money and debt by the Bankers.
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This "inflation" benefits the money-lenders, since it wipes out savings of one generation so they can not
finance or help the next generation, who must then borrow from the money-lenders, and pay a large part
of their life's labour to the usurer.
With an adequate supply of interest-free money, little borrowing would be required and prices would be
established by people and goods, not by debts and usury.
CITIZEN CONTROL
If Federal Congress failed to act, or acted wrongly, in the supply of money, the citizens would use the
ballot or recall petitions to replace those who prevented correct action with others whom the people
believe would pursue a better money policy. Since the creation of money and its issuance in sufficient
quantity would be one of the few functions of Congress, the voter could decide on a candidate by his
stand on money instead of the hundreds of lesser issues which are presented to us today.
And since money is, and would remain, a national function, local differences or local factions would not
be able to sway the people from the nation's (citizens') interest. All other problems, except the nation's
defence, would be taken care of in the State, County, or City governments where they are best handled
and most easily corrected.
An adequate national defence would be provided by the same citizen- controlled Congress, and there
would be no Bankers behind the scenes, bribing politicians to give $220 billions of American military
equipment to other nations, disarming us, while alien nations prepare to attack and invade the United
States of America.
A DEBT-FREE AMERICA
With debt-free and interest-free money, there would be no high and confiscatory taxation, and our homes
would be mortgage-free with no $10,000-per-year payments to the Bankers, nor would they get $1,000 to
$2,500 per year from every automobile on our roads.
We would need no "easy payment" plans, "revolving" charge accounts, loans to pay medical or hospital
bills, loans to pay taxes, loans to pay for burials, loans to pay loans, nor any of the thousand and one
usury-bearing loans which now suck the life-blood of American families.
There would be no unemployment, divorces caused by debt, destitute old people, or mounting crime, and
even the so-called "depraved" classes would be deprived of neither job nor money to buy the necessities
of life.
Criminals could not become politicians, nor would politicians become criminals in the pay of the Money-
lenders. Our officials, at all government levels, would be working for the people instead of devising
more money to place us further in debt to the Bankers.
We would get out of the entangling foreign alliances that have engulfed us in four major ways and scores
of minor wars since the Federal Reserve Act was passed, alliances which are now used to prevent
America from preparing her own defence in the face of mounting danger from alien powers.
A debt-free America would mean mothers would not have to work. With mothers at home, juvenile
delinquency would decrease rapidly. The elimination of the usury and debt would be the equivalent of a
50% raise in the purchasing power of every worker. With this cancellation of all debts, the return to the
people of all the property and wealth the parasitic Bankers and their quasi-legal agents have stolen by
usury and fraud, and then ending of their theft of $300 Billion (or more) every year from the people.
America would be prosperous and powerful beyond the wildest dreams of the citizens today. And we
would be at peace! (For a Bible example of cancellation of debts to money lenders and restoration of
property and money to the people, read Nehemiah 5:1-13.)

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WHY YOU HAVEN'T KNOWN
We realise that this small, and necessarily incomplete, article on money may be charged with
oversimplification. Some may say that if it is that simple the people would have known about it, and it
could not have happened.
But this MONEY LENDER'S conspiracy is as old as Babylon, and even in America it dates far back
before the year 1913.
Actually, 1913 may be considered the year in which their previous plans came to fruition, and the way
opened for complete economic conquest of our people. The consPIRACY is old enough in America so
that to its agents have been, for many years, in positions of influence such as newspaper publishers,
editors, columnists, church ministers, university presidents, professors, textbook writers, labour union
leaders, movie makers, radio and TV commentators, politicians, and from school board members to U.S.
presidents, and many others.
CONTROLLED NEWS AND INFORMATION
These agents control the information available to our people. They manipulate public opinion, elect whom
they will locally and nationally, and never expose the crooked money system. They promote school
bonds, municipal bonds, expensive and detrimental farm programs, "urban renewal," foreign aid, and
many other schemes which put the people more deeply into debt to the Bankers.
Thoughtful citizens wonder why billions are spent on one program and billions on another which may
duplicate it or even nullify it, such as paying some farmers not to raise crops, while at the same time
building dams or canals to irrigate more farm land. Crazy or stupid?
Neither. The goal is more debt. Thousands of government-sponsored ways of wasting money go on
continually. Most make no sense, but they are never exposed for what they really are, builders of
"billions for the bankers and debts for the people."
So-called "economic experts" write syndicated columns in hundreds of newspapers, craftily designed to
prevent the people from learning the simple truth about our money system. Commentators on radio and
TV, preachers, educators, and politicians blame the people as wasteful, lazy or spend-thrift, and blame
the workers and consumers for the increase in debts and the inflation of prices, when they know the cause
is the debt-money system itself.
Our people are literally drowned in charges and counter-charges designed to confuse them and keep them
from understanding the unconstitutional and evil money-system that is so efficiently and silently robbing
the farmers, the workers, and the businessmen of the fruits of their labour and of their freedoms.
When some few Patriotic people or organisations who know the truth begin to expose them or try to stop
any of their mad schemes, they are ridiculed and smeared as "right-wing extremists," "super-patriots,"
"ultra-rightists," "bigots," "fascists," etc. Any name is used which will cause them to shut up or will at
least stop other people from listening to the warning they are giving. Articles and books such as you are
now reading are kept out of schools, libraries, and book stores.
Some, who are especially vocal in their exposure of the treason against our people, are harassed by
government agencies such as the EPA, the OSHA, the IRS, and others, causing them financial loss and
bankruptcy. Using the above methods, they have been completely successful in preventing most
Americans from learning the truth.
Therefore, to prevent violence or armed resistance to their plunder of America, they plan to register all
firearms and eventually to disarm all citizens. They have to eliminate most guns, except those in the
hands of their government, police and army.

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TELL THE PEOPLE
The "almost hidden" conspirators in politics, religion, education, entertainment, and the news media are
working for A Banker-owned United States, in a Banker-owned world under a Banker-owned World
Government! [NOTE: Read Prof. Carroll Quigley's TRAGEDY AND HOPE for an Insider's own
confession of this! Prof. Quigley, a member of these elite groups and thoroughly in sympathy with their
goal of a World Government controlled by the financial elite, has been referred to by President Clinton
(who was one of his students) as the man most responsible for shaping his view of the world!]
Love of Country, compassion for your fellow citizens, and concern for your children should make you
deeply interested in this, America's greatest problem, for our generation has not suffered under the "yoke"
as the coming generations will. Usury and taxes will continue to take a larger and larger part of the
annual earning of the people and put them into the pockets of the Bankers and their political Agents.
Increasing "government" regulations will prevent citizen protest and opposition to their control.
It is possible that your grandchildren will own neither home nor car, but will live in "government-owned"
apartments and ride to work in "government-owned" buses (both paying interest to the bankers), AND
BE ALLOWED TO KEEP JUST ENOUGH OF THEIR EARNINGS TO BUY A MINIMUM OF FOOD
AND CLOTHING while in luxury? In Asia and eastern Europe it is called "communism;" in America it
is called "Democracy" and "Capitalism."
America will not shake off her Banker-controlled dictatorship as long as the people are ignorant of the
hidden controllers. International financiers, who control most of the governments of the nations, and
most sources of information, seem to have us completely within their grasp.
They are afraid of only one thing: an awakened Patriotic Citizenry, armed with the truth, and with a trust
in Almighty God for deliverance. This pamphlet has given you the truth about their iniquitous system.
What you do with it is in your hands, as in the hands of Divine Providence. "The fear of man bringeth a
snare: but who so putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe." Proverbs 29:25
[Chart at bottom of page shows "Principal Assets of All Commercial Banks: 1950 to 1980" -- shows
an exponentially increasing upward spike. Source: Statistical Abstract of United States. A note below
the chart states: "1982: Since 1950 the Bankers "assets" (obtained by fraud) have risen from $160
billion to almost $2,000 billion. They are stealing America with their debt-usury system!] [Note
alongside the chart: "Bankers produce no usable product or any "wealth," yet their usury robbery
almost doubles their net assets (wealth) every ten years! Is it possible another generation under their
"System" will make them "legal" owners of the entire United States and 200 million citizens will be
their bond-slaves on the continent our fathers colonised and developed?"]
AUDIT THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM?
The Federal Reserve has never been audited by the government since it took over our money and credit
in 1913. In 1975, a bill, H.R. 4316, to require an audit, was introduced in Congress.
During the April, 1975, hearings, this author submitted a statement favouring the audit, as did many
others. It is reprinted on the next two pages, from pages 306-308 of the 739 pages of testimony given
during those hearings before the Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy of the Committee on
Banking, Currency, and Housing, House of Representatives. Due to pressure from the money-
controllers, it was not passed. No audit has ever been made.
NOTEABLE MONEY QUOTES
PRESIDENT JAMES A. GARFIELD: "whoever controls the volume of money inin any country is
absolute master of all industry and commerce."
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HORACE GREELRY: "While boasting of our noble deeds, we are careful to conceal the ugly fact that
by an iniquitous money system we have nationalised a system of oppression which, though more refined,
is not less cruel than the old system of chattel slavery."
THOMAS A. EDISON: "People who will not turn a shovel full of dirt on project (Muscle Shoals Dam)
nor contribute a pound of material, will collect more money from the United States than will the People
who supply all the material and do all the work.
This is the terrible thing about interest...But here is the point: If the Nation can issue a dollar bond it can
issue a dollar bill. The element that makes the bond good makes the bill good also.
The difference between the bond and the bill is that the bond lets the money broker collect twice the
amount of the bond at an additional 20%. Whereas the currency, the honest sort provided by the
Constitution, pays nobody but those who contribute in some useful way. It is absurd to say our Country
can issue bonds and cannot issue currency. Both are promises to pay, but one fattens the usurer and the
other helps the People. If the currency issued by the People were no good, then the bonds would be no
good, either. It is a terrible situation when the Government, to insure the National Wealth, must go in
debt and submit to ruinous interest charges at the hands of men who control the fictitious value of gold.
Interest is the invention of Satan."
PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON: "A great industrial Nation is controlled by its system of credit.
Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the Nation and all our activities are in the hands of a
few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and
dominated Governments in the world -- no longer a Government of free opinion, no longer a Government
by conviction and vote of the majority, but a Government by the opinion and duress of small groups of
dominant men."
(Just before he died, Wilson is reported to have stated to friends that he had been "deceived" and that "I
have betrayed my Country." He referred to the Federal Reserve Act, passed during his Presidency) [<--
note by the author, Emry.]
SIR JOSIAH STAMP: (President of the Bank of England in the 1920's, the second richest man in
Britain): "Banking was conceived in iniquity and was born in sin. The Bankers own the earth. Take it
away from them, but leave them the power to create deposits, and with the flick of the pen they create
enough deposits to buy it back again. However, take it away from them, and all the great fortunes like
mine will disappear, and they ought to disappear, for this would be a happier and better world to live in.
But, if you wish to remain the slaves of the Bankers and pay the cost of your own slavery, let them
continue to create deposits."
MAJOR L.L.B. ANGAS: "The modern Banking system manufactures money out of nothing. The process
is perhaps the most astounding piece of sleight of hand that was ever invented. Banks can in fact inflate,
mint, and unmint the modern ledger-entry currency."
RALPH M. HAWTREY (Former Secretary of the British Treasury): "Banks lend by creating credit.
They create the means of payment out of nothing."
ROBERT H. HEMPHILL (Credit Manager of Federal Reserve Bank, Altanta, Ga.): "This is a staggering
thought. We are completely dependent on the commercial Banks. Someone has to borrow every dollar
we have in circulation, cash or credit. If the Banks create ample synthetic money, we are prosperous; if
not, we starve. We are absolutely without a permanent money system. When one gets a complete grasp
of the picture, the tragic absurdity of our hopeless position is almost incredible, but there it is. It is the
most important subject intelligent persons can investigate and reflect upon. It is so important that our
present civilisation may collapse unless it becomes widely understood and the defects remedied very
soon."
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CONGRESSMEN LOUIS T. MCFADDEN:  The Federal Reserve (Banks) are one of the most corrupt 
institutions the world has ever seen.  There is not a man within the sound of my voice who does not know 
that this Nation is run by the International Bankers." 
JOHN C. CALHOUN (Speech in the Senate, May 26, 1836):  "A power has risen up in the government 
greater than the people themselves, consisting of many and various powerful interests combined in one 
mass, and held together by the cohesive power of the vast surplus in the banks." 
LYOF N. TOLSTOY (In What Shall We Do?, 1891):  "Money is a new form of slavery, and 
distinguishable from the old simply by the fact that it is impersonal -- that there is no human relation 
between master and slave." 
THOMAS JEFFERSON (Letter to Elbridge Gerry, Jan. 26, 1779): "Banking establishments are more 
dangerous than standing armies." 
WILLIAM CORBETT: (In Advice to Young Men, 1, 1829):  "The power which money gives is that of 
brute force;  It is the power of the bludgeon and the bayonet." 
SOPHOCLES (Atigone, c. 450 B.C.):  "Money lays waste cities;  It sets men to roaming from home. It 
seduces and corrupts honest men and turns virtue to baseness; It teaches villany and impiety." 
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IS YOUR LOCAL BANKER INVOLVED IN CHECK KITING?
MAIL FRAUD? RACKETEERING?
By Conrad LeBeau
Read this shocking expose of a nationwide scandal involving over
Two trillion dollars worth of bad checks circulating as “money!”
Believe it or not!
CHECK KITING A NATIONAL SCANDAL
The story you are about to read is true. This is not a story about bank robbers like Jesse James, or
a holdup at your local bank or the Great Train Robbery. It is a story about banks robbing people
through one of the cleverest schemes ever contrived in the history of civilization. Officially, it is
known as “fractional reserve banking”. In reality, it is nothing more than a check writing
scheme: The writing and circulating of bad checks as “money”. The extent of this check kiting
scheme is now estimated to exceed well over two trillion dollars, and involved all 12 Federal
Reserve Banks as well as over 14,000 commercial banks throughout the United States.
Not only is there massive check kiting, but also a carefully planned conspiracy to overthrow the
Constitution of the United States, and set up a world government and world monetary system
with a cashless society. The ultimate plan is a debt dictatorship where there will be but two
classes of people the “haves” and the “have nots”. The “haves” will own it all and the “have
nots” will pay interest to the banks and taxes to the government. The United States will no longer
be a Republic, but an Economic Oligarchy—owned and controlled by an elite few who, through
fraudulent methods and contracts have turned us from a nation of free men and women into a
nation of slaves.
WHAT IS CHECK KITING?
Check kiting is a term applied to a method of floating checks between various bank accounts in a
never ending circle. Here is how it works:
Suppose Tom, Dick, and Harry each had a checking account at three different banks: Bank A,
Bank B, and Bank C. Tom writes a check for $3,500 from his account at Bank A to Dick. Dick
writes a check for $3,500 from his account at Bank B to Harry. And Harry writes a check for
$3,500 from his account at Bank C to Tom—thus finishing the circle. Together, they have
written checks totaling three times $3,500, or $10,500. Yet, between the three of them, there is
less than $00 in all three checking accounts.
E.F. HUTTON
Will any of the three checks bounce? The answer is “No”, unless the banker figures out the
scheme. If any of them withdraw the checks for cash, they can be charged with fraud and, just
for writing them, they can be charged with check kiting, which is a federal crime. Some check
kiting schemes involve millions of dollars of bad checks floating between various accounts,
which the depositors suddenly cash in before vanishing with their ill-gotten gains.
In the summer of 1985, E.F. Hutton gained national notoriety for floating up to $270 million
dollars worth of checks each day in what was, up until now, the largest check kiting scheme ever

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perpetuated in this country. E. F. Hutton never cashed the checks, but instead collected an
estimated $25 million dollars in interest each year on the checking accounts through which all
the bad checks were floating. The Department of Justice, even after a thorough investigation,
could find no one to indict. Incredible, but true—believe it or not.
THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY
If a group of people sits down to play a Monopoly game, and only one person (the “banker”) has
the power to create money, there can be little doubt who will win the Monopoly game. Here’s
the strategy. The “banker” lends money to the people who want to stay in the game, AND he gets
mortgage and security liens against all their personal and real property. The interest he charges
for the money he creates and lends out is all gravy—virtually all proit and no overhead. Once
everyone is in debt to him, he just cuts off their credit and calls in his loans. Because the interest
on the loans creates a debt greater than the supply of money to repay it, all the lender does to
foreclose on everyone is to stop making new loans. When the existing loans are paid off, the
money supply dries up, and prices of land, buildings, and commodities fall. Then, the lender for-
ecloses. All this is done very smoothly as lenders deprive people of property under color of law.
Taking the Monopoly game front the parlor into today’s real life is simple. What is happening is
merely a repeat of a script written long ago. We, the People, have been conned into a trap,
tempted by the lure of money, and have signed our land and freedoms away with contract that
have made us perpetual economic slaves to the lenders. Under our right to contract, we have
signed notes, entering ourselves “voluntarily” into a debt dictatorship—although few, if any, of
us realize the trap we were led into.
WHO CREATES THE MONEY?
Under the U.S. Constitution in Article 1, Section 8, Congress shall have the power “to coin
Money, and regulate the Value thereof”. Today, money is defined by 31 USCA, Section 5103
which says, “United States coins and currency…are legal tender for all debts, public charges,
taxes and dues.” It is quite clear that the U.S. Government has exclusive power to coin money,
and this power has not been delegated by the Constitution to private individuals or corporations.
It is important to realize here that evidences of debt are not money, and are not legal tender. Such
evidences of debt include, checks, credit cards, lines of credit, demand deposits, credit, letters of
credit, and checkbook money. These latter instruments pass as money only as long as people
have confidence in them.
DO BANKS CREATE MONEY?
In their own publications, the banks claim they create money. Because money is defined by law
as coins or currency, we must look at the evidence to see if they create coins of currency. A close
examination of evidence shows that the banks neither create coins nor currency, as these are
exclusive functions of the U.S. Government. What, then, do they create? They create something
that passes as money, yet isn’t real money.
OR DID HE MERELY WRITE A BAD CHECK?
DID THE LENDER CREATE THE MONEY?
When we looked at what the E. F. Hutton people did, we saw that in a sense they created money
and benefited by it. They wrote bad checks, which passed as money because Hutton always
backed its bad checks with more bad checks in a never-ending check kiting scheme. Yet, what

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difference is there between what E. F. Hutton did and what a commercial bank does on a regular
basis?
Consider this, “Modern Money Mechanics,” published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago,
says:
“The actual process of money creation takes place in commercial banks.”
“Deposits are merely book entries.”
“Banks can build up deposits by increasing loans…”
“…bankers discovered that they could, merely by giving borrowers their promises to pay
(bank notes) in this way, banks began to create money.”
Demand deposits are the modern counterpart of bank notes. It was a small step from
printing notes to making book entries to the credit of borrowers which the borrowers, in
turn, could spend by writing checks.”
A publication by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, called “Putting It Simply,” says
“When the Federal Reserve writes a check, it is creating money.
Another publication by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, called “I Bet You Thought,”
says:
“This checkbook money is bookkeeping money created mainly by the nation’s
commercial banks.”
Now, you may want to buy the story that the bankers are creating money, but I will not. The
courts have clearly decided that checks and evidences of debt are not money. (See Hegeman v.
Moon, 131 NY 462.30 NE 487 and/or State v. Nedon, 73 Pac 321, 43 Ore 158) IF YOU OR I
WRITE A CHECK WITHOUT HAVING THE FULL VALUE IN CASH TO BACK IT UP,
YOU OR I HAVE WRITTEN A BAD CHECK. IF A BANK WRITES A CHECK WITHOUT
THE FULL VALUE IN CASH TO BACK IT UP. THEN THE BANK, TOO, HAS WRITTEN
A BAD CHECK. The bank, however, is in a unique position to circulate its bad checks as
“money” by stamping them “PAID” and crediting the depositor’s checking or savings account
with some book entries. The banks are getting away with this fraudulent activity because most of
us don’t cash our checks because we use checks and credit cards as substitutes for cash (money).
As a result, many banks are making loans up to 33 times the amount of actual money (cash) they
have to loan. This technique is known as “fractional reserve banking.”
Today, the American people have become a party to the check kiting scheme of the bankers by
accepting checks and depositing them, and then writing checks against those book entry deposits.
We unwittingly help the banks pass on bad checks as “money.”
WHAT IS FRACTIONAL RESERVE BANKING?
Fractional reserve banking is based on the trade secrets of the goldsmiths. During the Middle
Ages, the goldsmiths would store real money—gold and silver coins—brought to them for
safekeeping. The goldsmiths would then issue notes promising the “Bearer on Demand” that
amount in either gold or silver coins. Eventually, the goldsmiths found that the people preferred
using notes to buy goods and services from each other and would leave their heavy and
cumbersome coins in the vaults.

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Conceiving a plan to get rich quick, the goldsmiths issued up to ten times the value that they had
gold or silver coins in their vaults in notes—promises to pay. They then lent out these notes—
worthless paper!—and collected interest on them! The precious metal coins stayed in the vaults
backing the bad notes they circulated as “money” at a fraction (1/10) of the coins’actual value
(hence, the term”fractional reserve.”)
The goldsmiths said they created money. We say, “NONSENSE!” To create real money, they
would have mined and refined real gold or silver metals and formed them into coins. While their
notes seemingly benefited the public, the actual monopoly of issuing these notes placed
goldsmiths in positions of great wealth and power over people and nations. Or at least, that is, as
long as their fraudulent activities were not discovered. The goldsmith’s power became awesome,
and he could, at his discretion, lead a nation into either a war or a depression, it if furthered his
ends.
THE HARD EVIDENCE
First of all, no banker in the United States can cite any law that gives him the right to create
money by lending “promises to pay money” which are called by many names, such as: demand
deposits, credit, or checkbook money. Look at it this way: If any of these items are cashed in, no
money is created. Instead, a promise to pay money is exchanged for the money promised. That’s
like writing an IOU for an IOU. Now, if the money promised doesn’t exist, then we are talking
about bad demand deposits, bad credit, and bad checks. The fact that the bank stamps the check
“PAID” when, in fact, no cash is paid out, and there exists only a transfer of book entries, is
evidence in itself of check kiting. An ingenious con, really, to swindle millions of people every
day, with no one being the wiser because they actually think their paychecks have value.
FEDERAL RESERVE BULLETIN CONFIRMS FRAUD
A MONTHLY PUBLICATION BY THE FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD,
CALLED THE “FEDERAL RESERVE BULLETIN,” HAS IN IT
INFORMATION TO DOCUMENT MASSIVE FRAUD AND CHECK KITING
GOING ON IN THE NATION’S BANKING SYSTEM. IN THE MAY
EDITION OF THE FRB, IT STATES THE RESERVE REQUIREMENTS
EFFECTIVE ON JANUARY 1, 1985 ARE 3% FOR NET ACCOUNTS
UNDER $29.8 MILLION AND 0% FOR ACCOUNTS OF CORPORATIONS
ON TIME DEPOSITS OF EIGHTEEN MONTHS OR MORE.
As of February, 1985, the total amount of Federal Reserve Notes in circulation is listed at $162.9
billion. Yet the total loans and securities of all commercial banks are listed at $1.8 trillion—
ELEVEN TIMES GREATER than the money supply (cash). This $1.8 trillion figure does not
include the over $2 trillion worth of stock in American industry held by bank trust departments.
Total mortgage loans are over $2 trillion, and the total amount of the Federal Government’s debt
is over $1.7 trillion. In fact, the entire public and private debt is over $6 trillion. Yet the actual
amount of money (cash) in the country is $162.9 billion or less than 3% of the total debt.
If the banks and other financial institutions had actually been lending the money, then the total
national debt would be less than $200 billion, yet we find it to be 30 TIMES this amount. This
can only mean one thing: that there are over $5 trillion worth of bad checks written which
created over $5 trillion worth of unlawful debts. THE LEGAL BASIS TO CANCEL MOST OF

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MAIL FRAUD AND RACKETEERING 
The use of the U.S. Postal Service to collect on any unlawful debt is considered mail fraud under 
federal statues (18 G.S.C. 1341), and the use of the U.S. Mails more than once in any 10-year 
period constitutes a pattern of racketeering activity under statute 18 U.S.C. 1961. 
Any bank loan in this country where checks or credit cards were used and no actual cash was 
received should be considered an act of fraud to circulate a bad check as money as part of a 
check kiting operation that involves the Federal Reserve Banks, which are also privately owned 
banks. No person should receive any check without going to the bank and demanding actual 
cash. We must stop using bank credit cards and demand proof from the bank that it actually lends 
lawful money. We must pray and call of God almighty to help expose and drive the check kiters 
(The Money Changers) from America. 
WHAT CAN YOU DO? 
First, you can write to your congressman and demand a congressional investigation into the 
massive check kiting, fraud and conspiracy charges raised in this flyer. Send your Congressman, 
Senator, Governor, State legislators, mayor, and local sheriff and judges a copy of this flyer and 
ask them to conduct an investigation. Or better yet, impanel a Grand Jury to investigate these 
allegations. 
We need to determine what portion of the national and private debt was actually paid for with 
lawful money. That portion of the public and private debt that was “paid for” with bad checks 
designed to circulate as money should be immediately repudiated, and those who illegally 
acquired government securities and bonds should be indicted. 
We need a complete investigation ad audit of all 12 Federal Reserve Banks, and over 14,000 
member banks. 
We need an immediate investigation of all mortgage loans, and loans made through the Farm 
Credit System, to determine the event of the check kiting operation and which farm debts should 
be canceled. In the meantime, we need an immediate moratorium to stop all foreclosures. 
Your help is needed to reprint this flyer and pass it on to your friends and neighbors. Yours 
prayers for the success of those efforts will bring God’s blessings upon us as we strive to attain 
economic and social justice for all.   This publication is not copyrighted. Reprint and pass on.    
This is one of the many reasons that people are in such a state of turmoil with debt........This 
is why we have to act today!!!! 
 
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Click here: BBCOA.com>http://www.bbcoa.com/articles/evidence.shtml
Claim 1: The United States is not Country; it is a Corporation
The United States of America is a corporation endowed with the capacity to sue and be sued, to
convey and receive property. 1 Marsh. Dec. 177, 181. But it is proper to observe that no suit can
be brought against the United States without authority of law." Bouviers Law , 5th definition of
“United States" "It is an established fact that the United States Federal Government has been
dissolved by the Emergency Banking Act, March 9, 1933, 48 stat. 1, Public Law 89-719; declared
by President Roosevelt, being bankrupt and insolvent. H.J.R. 192, 73rd Congress in session June
5, 1933 - Joint Resolution To Suspend The Gold Standard and Abrogate The Gold Clause
dissolved the Sovereign Authority of the United States and the official capacities of all United
States Governmental Offices, Officers, and Departments and is further evidence that the United
States Federal Government exists today in name only." United States Congressional Record,
March 17, 1993 Vol. 33 Proof A:United States DefinedFew Americans realize that there are three
definitions for the "United States." Most have been misled to believe that the term "United States"
has a single meaning and is a generic term referring to the country as a whole The Second
definition states "United States" (D.C. ) has its own citizens (see United States v. Cruikshank, 92
U.S. 542) who are generally referred to as United States citizens. The yellow fringed flag
signifying this jurisdiction is not for decorative purposes. It signifies the jurisdiction of the
District, also known as CORPORATE U.S. FEDERAL that has been extended into the Union
states by the 14th Amendment. Proof B: The Legislative Act of February 21, 1871, Forty-first
Congress, Session III, Chapter 62, page 419, Congress chartered a Federal Company entitled
"United States," a/k/a "US Inc.," a "Commercial Agency" originally designated as "Washington,
D.C.," in accordance with the 14th Amendment which the record indicates was never ratified (see
Utah Supreme Court Cases, Dyett v Turner, (1968) 439 P2d 266, 267; State v Phillips, (1975)
540 P 2d 936; as well as Coleman v. Miller, 307 U.S. 448, 59 S. Ct. 972; 28 Tulane Law Review,
22; 11 South Carolina Law Quarterly 484; Congressional Record , June 13, 1967, pp.
15641-15646). A "citizen of the United States" is a civilly dead entity operating as a co-trustee
and co-beneficiary of the PCT, the private constructive, cestui que trust of US Inc. under the 14th
Amendment, which upholds the debt of the USA and US Inc. in Section 4. Proof C: There are no
Judicial courts in America and there have not been since 1789. Judges do not enforce Statutes and
Codes. Executive Administrators enforce Statutes and Codes. (FRC v. GE 281 US 464, Keller v.
PE 261 US 428, 1 Stat. 138-178) - Factoids #8
Claim 2: The United States is Bankrupt. Speaker-Rep. James Traficant, Jr. (Ohio) addressing
the House: "Mr. Speaker, we are here now in chapter 11. Members of Congress are official
trustees presiding over the greatest reorganization of any Bankrupt entity in world history, the
U.S. Government."United States Congressional Record, March 17, 1993 Vol. 33, page H-1303
Proof A: Bankruptcy of U.S in 1933 & State of Emergency, War Powers & Trading with the
Enemy Act of 1917The United States went "bankrupt" in 1933. [President Roosevelt Executive
Order 6073, 6102,6111, 6260; Senate Report 93-549, pgs. 187 & 594, 1973]. In 1950, declared
"bankruptcy and reorganization." Secretary of Treasury appointer receiver in the bankruptcy
[Reorganization Plan, No. 26, 5 U.S.C.A. 903; Public Law 94-564; Legislative History, Pg. 5967
Proof B: Law And Antilaw, 1995 - Perhaps the most important was the Emergency Banking Act
of March 9, 1933, and particularly its amendment to the Trading with the Enemy Act of October
6, 1917, and its ratification of such executive orders as the Proclamation 2040 by President
Roosevelt issued on March 6, 1933, sometimes called the Emergency and War Powers order.
This act, codified as 12 USC 95(b), effectively declared the Constitution suspended and conferred
dictatorial powers on the President, a situation which continues to this day.Sec. 95b. - Ratification

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of acts of President and Secretary of the Treasury under section 95a - "The actions, regulations,
rules, licenses, orders and proclamations heretofore or hereafter taken, promulgated, made, or
issued by the President of the United States or the Secretary of the Treasury since March 4, 1933,
pursuant to the authority conferred by section 95a of this title, are approved and confirmed."
Proof C: The Us. Bankruptcy Story This article by Aware provides the proof that America has
become completely bankrupt and the people have become subject to undeclared economic war,
bankruptcy, and economic slavery of the most corrupt order.
Proof D: THE U. S. DEBT PYRAMID SCAM by Boudewijn Wegerif - March 2000 The Nobel
laureate scientist Frederick Soddy in the 1920's - "The whole profit of the issuance of money has
provided the capital of the great banking business as it exists today. Starting with nothing
whatever of their own, they have got the whole world into their debt irredeemably, by a trick.
This money comes into existence every time the banks 'lend' and disappears every time the debt is
repaid to them. So that if industry tries to repay, the money of the nation disappears."
Proof E: Presidential Determination No. 92 - 45 -- Memorandum on Extension of the Exercise
of Certain Authorities Under the Trading With the Enemy Act August 28, 1992 Memorandum for
the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury Subject: Extension of the Exercise of Certain
Authorities Under the Trading With the Enemy Act - Bush Library
Proof F: U.S. NATIONAL DEBT - We are $Trillions in debt. If that's not bankrupt, what is?
This clock gives you the debt to the day. The National Debt has continued to increase an average
of $843 million per day since September 28, 2001.
Proof G: Money Facts - The text of this Congressional document is reproduced in whole but
without index. It must be remembered that it was published in 1964 and facts have changed due
to changes in laws. Particularly, both gold and silver have been de-monetized and currencies have
changed accordingly; and, especially, statistical references are out of date. It incorporates
economic dogmas of that era. In some places, the doublespeak has an "Alice in Wonderland"
quality. What it does do is leave no doubt about who runs the U. S. economy and how money is
created.
Proof H: How Americans Lost Their Right To Own Gold And Became Criminals in the Process
- Most Americans are unaware of the existence of these harsh criminal sanctions. Fewer still,
including the legal community, are aware of how and why Americans lost their right to own gold
in the first place. The facts, which should startle layman and lawyer alike, expose the shaky legal
foundation on which the gold prohibition rests: an unconstitutional arrogation of congressional
power and the improper delegation of that power to the President, leading to what can be called
the "endless emergency rationale."
Proof I THE BALANCED BUDGET SCAM - "Consistently, the federal government defaulted
to banks the de facto power to create the nation's money supply until 1913. In 1913 the Federal
Reserve Banking System was created and assigned monetary policy authority de jure Since 1913,
the Congress has continued to give more authority and control of the money supply to a private
banking monopoly which it mislabeled Federal Reserve."
Claim 3: Your life's labor and everything you've created, have become the legal, commercial
collateral of the bankrupt U.S. Inc. .
Our government was created to serve us, We the People. It has grown into a greedy, arrogant
monster claiming ultimate ownership of virtually everything, including us. The Truth about
Money, by Steven A. Reid, M.D.

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''[E]very State possesses exclusive jurisdiction and sovereignty over persons and property within 
its territory.'' - Pennoyer v. Neff, 95 U.S. 714, 733 -35 (1878)  
Proof A  America's Constitutional Dictatorship - First published in July, 1996 by the North 
Bridge News "Since March the 9th, 1933, the United States has been in a state of declared 
national emergency. Under the powers delegated by these statutes, the President may: seize 
property; organize and control the means of production; seize commodities; assign military forces 
abroad; institute martial law; seize and control all transportation and communication; regulate the 
operation of private enterprise; restrict travel; and... control the lives of all American citizens...." 
Proof B  Martial Law, by Dr. Gene Schroder - For years, we have heard that the United States 
was in bankruptcy, that we are under Martial Law. For years, we could only suppose this to be 
true. Dr. Gene Schroder, has done extensive research into the matter. The results of his research 
prove that these claims are absolutely true. Since March 9, 1933, the United States has been 
operating under a declared National Emergency as a result of that bankruptcy. 
Proof C:  Emergency Powers Fraud, by William T. Holmes : FDR issued Proclamation 2040: 
under the authority of the amended Trading with the Enemy Act, "[I]n view of such continuing 
national emergency... all terms and provisions of said Proclamation of March 6, 1933... are... in 
full force and effect until further proclamation by the President." 48 Stat. 1691. The New Deal 
was not to be temporary. People and their property became as chattels for unlimited obligations of 
the United States. 
Proof D:   Excellent article on how your All-Capital-Letter name is used to bind your living body 
and soul to the corporate bankruptcy. Anytime you see "your name" in all capital letters, IT IS 
NOT YOUR NAME!! It is the name of a separate entity, a legal fiction, the Straw Man 
representing you in commercial transactions and for which you are presumed to be the SURETY. 
- Source - Aware Group Site 
Proof E:  The Reconstruction Acts, Articles of War Against the American People, and 
Usurpation of States Rights "Knowledge will forever govern ignorance. And a people who mean 
to be their own governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives. A popular 
government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce 
or a tragedy, or perhaps both." - James Madison, August 4, 1822.  
Proof F:  Federal Reserve System's Funny Money Explained Today's paper currency has "THIS 
NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR ALL DEBTS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE" inscribed on the 
note. But the note doesn't tell you who, or what is backing the bill. Find out. 
Proof G:  HJR-192 superseded Public Law (what passes as law today is only "color of law"), 
replacing it with public policy. This eliminated our ability to PAY our debts, allowing only for 
their DISCHARGE.  When we use any commercial paper (checks, drafts, warrants, federal 
reserve notes, etc.), and accept it as money, we simply pass the unpaid debt attached to the paper 
on to others, by way of our purchases and transactions. This unpaid debt, under public policy, 
now carries a public liability for its collection. In other words, all debt is now public.The United 
States government, in order to provide necessary goods and services, created a commercial bond 
(promissory note - Source: Commerce Games Exposed 
Proof H: The Truth about Money - The issuance of paper as a "legal tender" and circulating 
medium of exchange did not occur until 1862 during the Civil War. The Congress authorized the 
emission of non-interest bearing Treasury notes and declared the bills of credit to be legal tender 
for all debts, public and private, with the exception of taxes on imports. The notes were deemed 
necessary to "float the debt of the United States" for the war effort. In short, the paper "green 
backs" were "printed" under pretext of "war powers."  
 
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Proof I: You Think You Own Your Own Home, Car, Etc.? - Think Again It is an established
fact that the United States Federal Government has been dissolved by the Emergency Banking
Act, March 9, 1933, 48 stat. 1, Public Law 89-719; declared by President Roosevelt, being
bankrupt and insolvent. H.J.R. 192, 73rd Congress m session June 5, 1933 - Joint Resolution To
Suspend The Gold Standard and Abrogate The Gold Clause dissolved the Sovereign Authority of
the United States and the official capacities of all United States Governmental Offices, Officers,
and Departments and is further evidence that the United States Federal Government exists today
in name only.
Proof J: THE REAL LAW OF THE LAND IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - When
the Southern states walked out of Congress on March 27, 1861, the quorum to conduct business
under the Constitution was lost. The only votes that Congress could lawfully take, under
Parliamentary Law, were those to set the time to reconvene, take a vote to get a quorum, and vote
to adjourn and set a date, time, and place to reconvene at a later time, but instead, Congress
abandoned the House and Senate without setting a date to reconvene. Under the parliamentary
law of Congress, when this happened, Congress became sine die (pronounced see-na dee-a;
literally "without day") and thus when Congress adjourned sine die, it ceased to exist as a lawful
deliberative body.
Proof K: The Real Story of the Money-Control Over America, By Sheldon EmryAdditional point
of interest:The 14th Amendment to the Constitution for the United States is Null and Void:1. as
Senator John P. Stockton's "Negative Vote" on H.J.R. 127 caused the United States Senate to fail
in obtaining a 2/3rd vote majority needed to pass the Resolution out of the Senate.2. as five
absent Senators failed/refused to cast "proxy votes" on H.J.R. 127, the Resolution failed for not
being acted upon in accordance to Article V of the Constitution for the United States as 32
members of the House of Congress refused to cast a vote on H.J.R. 127, the Resolution failed for
not being acted upon in accordance to Article V for the Constitution for the United States.

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The Bankruptcy of The United States
United States Congressional Record, March 17, 1993 Vol. 33, page H-1303
Speaker-Rep. James Traficant, Jr. (Ohio) addressing the House:
"Mr. Speaker, we are here now in chapter 11.. Members of Congress are official trustees presiding over
the greatest reorganization of any Bankrupt entity in world history, the U.S. Government. We are setting
forth hopefully, a blueprint for our future. There are some who say it is a coroner's report that will lead to
our demise.
It is an established fact that the United States Federal Government has been dissolved by the Emergency
Banking Act, March 9, 1933, 48 Stat. 1, Public Law 89-719; declared by President Roosevelt, being
bankrupt and insolvent. H.J.R. 192, 73rd Congress m session June 5, 1933 - Joint Resolution To Suspend
The Gold Standard and Abrogate The Gold Clause dissolved the Sovereign Authority of the United States
and the official capacities of all United States Governmental Offices, Officers, and Departments and is
further evidence that the United States Federal Government exists today in name only.
The receivers of the United States Bankruptcy are the International Bankers, via the United Nations, the
World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. All United States Offices, Officials, and Departments
are now operating within a de facto status in name only under Emergency War Powers. With the
Constitutional Republican form of Government now dissolved, the receivers of the Bankruptcy have
adopted a new form of government for the United States. This new form of government is known as a
Democracy, being an established Socialist/Communist order under a new governor for America. This act
was instituted and established by transferring and/or placing the Office of the Secretary of Treasury to
that of the Governor of the International Monetary Fund. Public Law 94-564, page 8, Section H.R. 13955
reads in part: "The U.S. Secretary of Treasury receives no compensation for representing the United
States?'
Gold and silver were such a powerful money during the founding of the united states of America, that the
founding fathers declared that only gold or silver coins can be "money" in America. Since gold and silver
coinage were heavy and inconvenient for a lot of transactions, they were stored in banks and a claim
check was issued as a money substitute. People traded their coupons as money, or "currency." Currency
is not money, but a money substitute. Redeemable currency must promise to pay a dollar equivalent in
gold or silver money. Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) make no such promises, and are not "money." A
Federal Reserve Note is a debt obligation of the federal United States government, not "money?' The
federal United States government and the U.S. Congress were not and have never been authorized by the
Constitution for the united states of America to issue currency of any kind, but only lawful money, -gold
and silver coin.
It is essential that we comprehend the distinction between real money and paper money substitute. One
cannot get rich by accumulating money substitutes, one can only get deeper into debt. We the People no
longer have any "money." Most Americans have not been paid any "money" for a very long time, perhaps
not in their entire life. Now do you comprehend why you feel broke? Now, do you understand why you
are "bankrupt," along with the rest of the country?
Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) are unsigned checks written on a closed account. FRNs are an inflatable
paper system designed to ceate debt through inflation (devaluation of currency). when ever there is an
increase of the supply of a money substitute in the eonomy without a corresponding increase in the gold
and silver backing, inflation occurs.

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Inflation is an invisible form of taxation that irresponsible governments inflict on their citizens. The
Federal Reserve Bank who controls the supply and movement of FRNs has everybody fooled. They have
access to an unlimited supply of FRNs, paying only for the printing costs of what they need. FRNs are
nothing more than promissory notes for U.S. Treasury securities (T-Bills) - a promise to pay the debt to

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the Federal Reserve Bank.
There is a fundamental difference between "paying" and "discharging" a debt. To pay a debt, you must
pay with value or substance (i.e. gold, silver, barter or a commodity). With FRNs, you can only discharge
a debt. You cannot pay a debt with a debt currency system You cannot service a debt with a currency
that has no backing in value or substance. No contract in Common law is valid unless it involves an
exchange of "good & valuable consideration."
Unpayable debt transfers power and control to the sovereign power structure that has no interest in
money, law, equity or justice because they have so much wealth already.
Their lust is for power and control. Since the inception of central banking, they have controlled the fates
of nations.
The Federal Reserve System is based on the Canon law and the principles of sovereignty protected in the
Constitution and the Bill of Rights. In fact, the international bankers used a "Canon Law Trust" as their
model, adding stock and naming it a "Joint Stock Trust."
The U.S. Congress had passed a law making it illegal for any legal "person" to duplicate a "Joint Stock
Trust" in 1873. The Federal Reserve Act was legislated post-facto (to 1870), although post-facto laws are
strictly forbidden by the Constitution. [1:9:3]
The Federal Reserve System is a sovereign power structure separate and distinct from the federal United
States government. The Federal Reserve is a maritime lender, and/or maritime insurance underwriter to
the federal United States operating exclusively under Admiralty/Maritime law. The lender or underwriter
bears the risks, and the Maritime law compelling specific performance in paying the interest, or premiums
are the same.
Assets of the debtor can also be hypothecated (to pledge something as a security without taking
possession of it.) as security by the lender or underwriter. The Federal Reserve Act stipulated that the
interest on the debt was to be paid in gold.
There was no stipulation in the Federal Reserve Act for ever paying the principle.
Prior to 1913, most Americans owned clear, allodial title to property, free and clear of any liens or
mortgages until the Federal Reserve Act (1913) "Hypothecated" all property within the federal United
States to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, -in which the Trustees (stockholders) held legal
title. The U.S. citizen (tenant, franchisee) was registered as a "beneficiary" of the trust via his/her birth
certificate.
In 1933, the federal United States hypothecated all of the present and future properties, assets and labor of
their "subjects," the 14th Amendment U.S. citizen, to the Federal Reserve System.
In return, the Federal Reserve System agreed to extend the federal United States corporation all the credit
"money substitute" it needed. Like any other debtor, the federal United States government had to assign
collateral and security to their creditors as a condition of the loan.
Since the federal United States didn't have any assets, they assigned the private property of their
"economic slaves", the U.S. citizens as collateral against the unpayable federal debt. They also pledged
the unincorporated federal territories,national parks forests, birth certificates, and nonprofit organizations,
as collateral against the federal debt.
All has already been transferred as payment to the international bankers.
Unwittingly, America has returned to its pre-American Revolution, feudal roots whereby all land is held
by a sovereign and the common people had no rights to hold allodial title to property. Once again, We the
People are the tenants and sharecroppers renting our own property from a Sovereign in the guise of the

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Federal Reserve Bank.  We the people have exchanged one master for another. 
This has been going on for over eighty years without the "informed knowledge" of the American people, 
without a voice protesting loud enough.  Now it's easy to grasp why America is fundamentally bankrupt.  
Why don't more people own their properties outright?  Why are 90% of Americans mortgaged to the hilt 
and have little or no assets after all debts and liabilities have been paid? Why does it feel like you are 
working harder and harder and getting less and less?  We are reaping what has been sown, and the results 
of our harvest is a painful bankruptcy, and a foreclosure on American property, precious liberties, and a 
way of life.  Few of our elected representatives in Washington, D.C. have dared to tell the truth.  
The federal United States is bankrupt. Our children will inherit this unpayable debt, and the tyranny to 
enforce paying it. America has become completely bankrupt in world leadership, financial credit and its 
reputation for courage, vision and human rights.  This is an undeclared economic war, bankruptcy, and 
economic slavery of the most corrupt order! Wake up America! Take back your Country."
 
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26. CREDIT REPAIR

At some point, you may wish to clean up your credit reports. This is much easier when
you have the Notary’s Certificate of Dishonor and Non-Response, and easier yet after
you have obtained a judicial finding that your process was perfect so that you can execute
against the creditor. Remember, the costs of any credit repair which is to remove a
creditor’s report which was taken care of during the notarial protest is an item you can
back-charge the creditor for, per your contract.

Below is a link to information on credit repair you may be interested in learning:
The agency is required to verify any disputed information. See the FREE INFO at
http://www.creditinsiders.com/credit-repair.html .

Below are several agencies who seem to be quite reputable and their fee schedules as of
August 2003

CCS Financial, Steve Paige
Draper UT. The founder is Steve Paige, stevezpaige@comcast.net. 801-553-0134. Please
use Dennis Styles as the referring person.
19 year history.
$194 set-up fee, holds $150 in reserve, so $34 is for the first credit reports
$19.95 monthly fee
Only charges for results (once something has been removed). Here are the fees for
removing things: $50 per bad item deleted, $75 per collection item removed, $99 per
judgment or bankruptcy item (this includes IRS liens).
Most cases take 90 days to see definitive results from the clean up efforts.
- referral Dennis Styles

Credit Attorney, Rich Horne 1.800.788.0447 x202
Colorado

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Arbitration

What is it and how does it apply to my situation?

Arbitration is a means of coming to an agreement over a disputed matter without involving the
courts An arbitrator hears both sides and then makes a decision based on the information.

There are rules for arbitration, including:
• Both parties must agree to do the arbitration
• Both parties must agree on the arbitrator
• In most cases, both parties must be present

Banks will sometimes add an arbitration clause in their contracts. If you have received a notice
of arbitration, either the bank already had it in the account contract or they notified you later
and sent you a notice with an opt-out provisio). So because of your billing dispute, the banks are
trying to force you into arbitration to resolve the dispute.

The problem with arbitration is that banks and the arbitration forum have a vested interest in
helping each other. Arbitrations are done in bulk and often end in the same results (bank gets the
award). Arbitration is rarely fair, and in most cases the bank/attorneys do not follow the rules of
arbitration correctly. First, they are basically forcing you to arbitrate which is a violation of the
first point listed above (both parties must agree…). Next, it denies your right to due process.
You should always have the right to have a judge hear your case, and not just some third party
who that has a vested interest

If you receive an arbitration notice from your bank that gives you the opt-out optiion, you should
do so. This requires you to write up a little letter to the bank saying that you wish to opt out of
arbitration,and it should be sent with proof of service and the USPS certificate of mailing or by
certified mail. However, if you do this, in most cases, they will close your account.

If you get an arbitration notice from the bank, you will want to file a motion to dismiss the
arbitration based on a number or reasons, which likely will be denied. After that, the bank will
still force the arbitration and you may see requests for more information, or notices, or even a
settlement offer. At this point, you no longer send in anything, because you do not want it to
appear as though you are participating willingly in the arbitration. Your motion to dismiss
should have already covered all the legal reasons you declined to participate in arbitration.

Eventually you will receive a notice from the arbitration forum that they have given an “Award”
to the bank and you now owe the full balance and then you should get some sort of collection
letter, which you must respond to. Now the collection game begins again, and you pick up
where you left off.

Tidbits:
• Arbitration adds anywhere from 60-90 more days on to your termination process for that
particular card

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• The bank has 12 months to enforce the arbitration award. That means, they must submit
to the courts (much like a lawsuit) and get the judge to approve it, and then you must be
served with a notice. This rarely occurs. Usually, they just keep sending you collection
notices and the year goes by and then they go away.
• Remember, an “Award” means nothing unless the bank can take it to the courts, get it
turned in to a judgment, and then try and find assets to collect from you. You would
know all of this WELL in advance, and it would be a long process. So there are no
surprises here.
Below are some citations for you to research and would be cited in your oppostion to the
arbitration.

Title 5 Sec. 575. - Authorization of arbitration
(a)
(1) Arbitration may be used as an alternative means of dispute resolution whenever all
parties consent. Consent may be obtained either before or after an issue in controversy has
arisen. A party may agree to -
(A)
submit only certain issues in controversy to arbitration; or
(B)
arbitration on the condition that the award must be within a range of possible outcomes.
(2) The arbitration agreement that sets forth the subject matter submitted to the arbitrator
shall be in writing. Each such arbitration agreement shall specify a maximum award that
may be issued by the arbitrator and may specify other conditions limiting the range of
possible outcomes.
(3) An agency may not require any person to consent to arbitration as a condition of
entering into a contract or obtaining a benefit.

"The arbitration agreement in a credit cardholder agreement is unconscionable and
unenforceable, to the extent it prohibits class treatment of small individual claims, where
presented as a 'take it or leave it' clause with no opportunity for negotiation" Szetela v. Discover
Bank, No. G029323 (Cal. 4th App. Dist. April 22, 2002)

The arbitration forum chosen by the claimant is too closely aligned with the consumer finance
industry. The purported arbitration clause fails to establish that the arbitration service chosen by
claimant is neutral, inexpensive or an efficient forum for resolving this particular claim or
dispute. Baron v. Best Buy Co., Inc. et al., 75 F.Supp.2d 1368 (S.D. Fla. 1999)

The purported arbitration clause is not enforceable because it unconscionably requires the
respondent to arbitrate in a distant state under an organization and rules designed to favor the
purported lender. Patterson v ITT Consumer Financial Corp., 14 Cal. App. 4th 1659, 18 Cal
Rptr 2d 563 (Cal App. 1993).

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January 20, 1999
The Honorable Ronald George, Chief Justice
and the Honorable Associate Justices of the
California Supreme Court
303 Second Street
South Tower, 8th Floor
San Francisco, California 94107

Re: Badie v. Bank of America , No. S055552 – Opposition to Request
For Depublication

To the Honorable Chief Justice and the Associate Justices:
The American Bankers Association, the American Financial Services Association, the
Consumer Bankers Association, MasterCard International Incorporated and Visa U.S.A. Inc.
(collectively “the Bankers”), and the California Employment Law Council (“the Management
Lawyers”), have asked this Court to order depublication of the California Court of Appeal’s
opinion in Badie v. Bank of America. We are writing to ask that this request be denied. The Court
of Appeal’s decision in Badie addresses an issue – the enforceability of mandatory, pre-dispute
arbitration clauses – that is currently pending before numerous courts throughout the nation.
Those courts should be permitted to know about – and consider – the Court of Appeal’s decision.
As set further in further detail below, depublication should be denied for two reasons.
First, there is no serious dispute that the Badie decision meets the publication criteria of
California Rule 976(a). Among other things, this case plainly involves “a legal issue of
continuing public interest” -- i.e., the enforceability of mandatory arbitration clauses that are
imposed on consumers without any real knowledge and consent. This brings the decision
squarely within the terms of Rule 976(a), which properly seeks to ensure that important and
precedent-setting legal decisions are published for all the world to see. For that reason, the
request for depublication should be denied.
Nor should publication be granted on the basis of the Bankers and Management Lawyers’ claim
that the Court of Appeal’s opinion is wrong. On this point, the Bankers and Management
Lawyers attack the decision on the ground that it unfairly discriminates against arbitration
clauses (as opposed to other, similar contractual provisions) and would unfairly prevent their
clients from imposing mandatory arbitration through clauses that are “ambiguous” and
“equivocal.” This amounts to the astonishing -- and legally unsupported claim -- that their clients
should be permitted to ensnare unsuspecting consumers into arbitration schemes without their
true knowledge or consent. They further abuse the Court of Appeal for applying the standard
contract law doctrine that waivers of constitutional rights must be voluntary, knowing and
intelligent, thus the Bankers and Management Lawyers make the unusual case for waivers that
are involuntary, unknowing, and unintelligent. Because the law decidedly does not enshrine a
right for banks to “involuntarily” impose mandatory arbitration upon their “unknowing”
customers through “ambiguous” and “equivocal” clauses, the Bankers’ and Management
Lawyers’ request for depublication should be denied.

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Interest of Amicus Curiae

Trial Lawyers for Public Justice (“TLPJ”) is a national public interest law firm that
specializes in precedent-setting and socially significant civil litigation and is dedicated to
pursuing justice for the victims of corporate and governmental abuses. Litigating throughout the
federal and state courts, TLPJ prosecutes cases designed to advance consumers' and victims'
rights, environmental protection and safety, civil rights and civil liberties, occupational health
and employees' rights, the preservation and improvement of the civil justice system, and the
protection of the poor and the powerless.
Over the past year, TLPJ has been contacted by a large number of consumer attorneys
around the nation who were faced with mandatory arbitration schemes that threatened to deprive
their clients of their day in court. In each case, the attorney’s consumer clients wished to pursue
their claims through the civil justice system, and to have their cases heard by a jury of their
peers, but the corporate defendant sought to force the consumers to submit these claims to an
arbitrator. As a result of our investigations and research, TLPJ has become convinced that, in
many cases, mandatory arbitration poses a significant threat to both consumers and our system of
justice. In this case, TLPJ is particularly concerned about the Bankers’ and Management
Lawyers’ suggestion that mandatory arbitration may be imposed in circumstances where the
consumers did not meaningfully consent to such arbitration. Not only is this result contrary to the
U.S. Supreme Court’s jurisprudence relating to arbitration, but it is fundamentally unfair and
unwise public policy. TLPJ therefore urges this Court to reject the depublication request.
ARGUMENT

I. BADIE FALLS SQUARELY WITHIN THE PUBLICATION CRITERIA OF
CALIFORNIA RULE OF COURT 976(A).
The first problem with the depublication request is that it ignores the rule actually
governing publication of legal decisions in this state. California Rule of Court 976(a) sets the
standards for publication of opinions by the lower courts. The Court of Appeals certified that the
decision in Badie satisfies these standards. Neither the Bankers nor the Management Lawyers
claim otherwise. That fact, alone, should preclude depublication.
Rule 976(a) provides that Courts of Appeal decisions should be published when any one
of four specific disjunctive criteria are met:

(1) the opinion sets forth a new rule of law or applies an existing rule to new facts;
(2) the opinion creates an appa rent conflict with a decision by another Court of Appeal;
(3) the opinion involves a legal issue of continuing public interest; or
(4) the opinion makes a contribu tion to legal literature by reviewing development of common
law rule.
Rule 979, providing for the depublication of certain Court of Appeals decisions, by contrast, sets
forth no criteria for the depublication of those decisions. Thus, the clear implication of Rule
976(a) is that decisions of the Courts of Appeal should only be depublished when none of these
four publication criteria are met.

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The Bankers and the Management Lawyers effectively concede that the Court of
Appeal’s decision meets the publication criteria of Rule 976(a). The Bankers and the
Management Lawyers make no effort to deny, for example, that the Court of Appeal’s opinion in
Badie involves a “legal issue of continuing public interest;” to the contrary, they explicitly state
that the decision “raises issues of exceptional importance . ...” Letter of American Bankers
Association, et al., at 2. Nor is there any suggestion (as there could not seriously be) that the
centrality of the consent requirement to the imposition of mandatory arbitration is a crucial legal
issue of continuing public interest. (Indeed, the United States Supreme Court decided an
important decision on this topic just a few months ago. See Wright v. Universal Maritime Service
Corp. (1998) __ U.S. __, 119 S. Ct. 391.) Similarly, the Bankers and the Management Lawyers
make no effort to deny that the Badie opinion makes a contribution to the legal literature by
reviewing the development of the common law rule. Indeed, the Court of Appeal’s decision
includes a careful and thorough discussion of California precedents relating to these issues. And
there is no serious effort to dispute that Badie is the first California decision to apply the rule
prohibiting imposition of mandatory arbitration absent voluntary consent of both parties to the
specific but very important field of credit card agreements.
Instead of basing their arguments on the actual California rule governing depublication,
the Bankers and the Management Lawyers contend solely that Badie is wrong. They do not deny
that it deals with an important area of law, or applies that law in a new area; rather, they merely
stress that they disagree with its conclusion. Even if this Court were inclined to accept that
contention, Badie should not be depublished. Courts and counsel in other cases should be free to
rely on Badie to the extent they find it persuasive – and the Bankers and the Management
Lawyers should be free to attack Badie’s analysis in legal briefs to other courts, as they do in
their letters to this Court. The solution to controversial speech is more speech, not mandated
secrecy.
II.. THE COURT OF APPEAL’S DECISION IS IN ACCORD WITH THE WEIGHT
OF AUTHORITY.
Putting aside the publication criteria of Rule 976(a), there is an even more basic flaw in
the Banker’s and the Management Lawyers’ position: Badie is right. This Court, numerous
California Courts of Appeal, the United States Supreme Court and other courts throughout the
United States have repeatedly held that arbitration may not be imposed upon any party unless
that party has meaningfully consented to it. In addition, California’s general law of contracts
holds that any contract obligating one party to waive a constitutional right (whether involving
free speech, the right to notice and a hearing, or, as here, the right to a jury trial) is only valid if
the waiver is voluntary, knowing and intelligent.
A. BADIE IS FULLY CONSISTENT WITH MYRIAD LEGAL DECISIONS
HOLDING THAT MANDATORY ARBITRATION MAY NOT BE IMPOSED
WITHOUT THE MEANINGFUL CONSENT OF BOTH PARTIES.
The United States Supreme Court has repeatedly stressed that “arbitration under the
[Federal Arbitration Act (“F.A.A.”)] is a matter of consent, not coercion.” Allied-Bruce Terminex
Co. v. Dobson (1995) 513 U.S. 265, 270; First Options of Chicago, Inc. v. Kaplan (1995) 514
U.S. 938, 944; Mastrobuono v. Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc. (1995) 514 U.S. 52, 55-56; Volt
Info. Sciences, Inc. v. Board of Trustees (1989) 489 U.S. 468, 478. See also AT&T Tech., Inc. v.

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Communications Workers (1986) 475 U.S. 643, 648 (“[a] party cannot be required to submit to
arbitration any dispute which he has not agreed so to submit....”) (citation omitted).
The Bankers and the Management Lawyers both tout the general policy favoring the use
of arbitration. But the Court of Appeal was plainly correct in Badie when it held that the F.A.A.
does not establish a presumption that a valid arbitration agreement exists – it only favors
arbitration after that fact has been established. See First Options of Chicago v. Kaplan (1995)
514 U.S. at 943-44 (“arbitration is simply a matter of contract between the parties; it is a way to
resolve those disputes – but only those disputes – that the parties have agreed to submit to
arbitration.”) In fact, the party seeking to compel arbitration bears the burden of showing that the
other party waived their right to go to court. See Gibson v. Neighborhood Health Clinics, Inc.
(7th Cir. 1997) 121 F.3d 1126, 1126 (applying Indiana law).
The courts of California have also forcefully rejected efforts to compel the arbitration of
disputes that parties have not agreed to arbitrate. See Victoria v. Superior Court (1985) 40 Cal.
3d 734, 744 [222 Cal. Rptr. 1, 6, 710 P.2d 833, 838] (“there is no policy compelling persons to
accept arbitration of controversies which they have not agreed to arbitrate...” (citations omitted).
Federal and state policies favoring arbitration cannot supplant the requisite agreement of the
parties to arbitrate disputes. Victoria, 40 Cal. 3d at 739 (“the policy favoring arbitration cannot
displace the necessity for a voluntary agreement to arbitrate”) (citations omitted). In particular,
where consent is lacking, an agreement to arbitrate does not exist. El Camino Community
College v. Superior Court (1985) 173 Cal. App. 3d 606, 617 [219 Cal. Rptr. 236, 242] (holding
that one party’s “addition of an arbitration clause to the terms of a contract...is a significant
alteration of the rights of each party to the contract, and goes to the heart of the parties’
agreement” requiring consent of the other contracting party).
B. BADIE IS IN ACCORD WITH THE GENERAL LAW OF CONTRACTS FOR
ANY CONTRACT REQUIRING THE WAIVER OF A CONSTITUTIONAL
RIGHT.
The Bankers and the Management Lawyers effectively disregard the consent requirement
by attacking the Court of Appeal’s holding that “a contractual waiver of the right to a jury trial
‘must be clearly apparent in the context and its language must be unambiguous and unequivocal,
leaving no room for doubt as to the intention of the parties.” This amounts to a claim that this
Court should depublish the Court of Appeals’ decision in Badie to insure that ambiguous and
unequivocal arbitration agreements may be imposed upon consumers in adhesive contracts.
The Bankers and Management Lawyers support this remarkable plea by arguing that the
Court of Appeals’ decision supposedly discriminates against arbitration agreements by treating
them differently from other types of contracts. In fact, however, the Court of Appeal’s holding
treats arbitration contracts precisely as all courts treat other contracts of their type. It is the
Bankers and Management Lawyers who propose unusual treatment for arbitration contracts,
asking this Court to prefer them and favor them over all other similar contracts.
As the Court of Appeals recognized – and the Bankers and Management Lawyers do not
dispute – any contract that purports to waive a constitutional right (such as the right to trial by
jury) must be unambiguous and unequivocal, and must provide for a voluntary, knowing and
intelligent waiver. See In re Hannie (1970) 3 Cal. 3d 520, 526 [90 Cal. Rptr. 742, , 476 P.2d 110,
113] (“A trial by jury may be waived . . . . Waivers of constitutional and statutory rights must be
voluntary . . ., and ‘knowing, intelligent acts done with sufficient awareness of the relevant

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circumstances and likely consequences”) (citations omitted); In re Laura H. (1992) 8 Cal. App. 
4th 1689, 1695 [11 Cal. Rptr. 2d 285, 288] (“While any constitutional right can be waived, mere 
acquiescence is not a waiver; a waiver must be knowing and intelligent.”); Trizec Properties v. 
Superior Court (1991) 229 Cal. App. 3d 1616, 1619 [280 Cal. Rptr. 885, 887] (“The right to trial 
by jury in a civil case is a substantial one not lightly to be deemed waived. . . . Of course, to be 
enforceable, the waiver provision must be clearly apparent in the contract and its language must 
be unambiguous and unequivocal, leaving no room for doubt as to the intention of the parties.”); 
Titan Group, Inc. v. Sonoma Valley County Sanitation Dist. (1985) 164 Cal. App. 3d 1122, 1129 
[211 Cal. Rptr. 62, 66] (“In light of the importance of the jury trial in our system of 
jurisprudence, any waiver thereof should appear in clear and unmistakable form”); In re Thomas 
S. (1981) 124 Cal. App. 3d 934, 939 [177 Cal. Rptr. 742, 744] (“It is firmly established that the 
first requirement of any waiver of a statutory, constitutional, or here, a hybrid, judicially 
promulgated contractual right is that it be knowingly and intelligently made....”).  
Indeed, the principal that waivers of fundamental rights must be unambiguous and 
unequivocal has been recognized not only in California, but in a large body of judicial decisions 
around the United States. This is a standard rule of contract law, and is not some sort of 
“discrimination” against arbitration clauses. See Erie Telecommunications, Inc. v. City of Erie 
(3rd Cir. 1988) 853 F.2d 1084, 1096 (“constitutional rights, like rights and privileges of lesser 
importance, may be contractually waived where the facts and circumstances surrounding the 
waiver make it clear that the party foregoing its rights has done so of its own volition, with full 
understanding of the consequences of its waiver.”); K.M.C. Co. v. Irving Trust Co. (6th Cir. 1985) 
757 F.2d 752, 756 (“Those cases in which the validity of a contractual waiver of jury trial has 
been in issue have overwhelmingly applied the knowing and voluntary standard.”) 
This rule is particularly pronounced in all cases involving contracts of adhesion, such as 
the credit card agreements in this case. See Isbell v. County of Sonoma (1978) 21 Cal. 3d 61,69 
[145 Cal. Rptr. 368, , 577 P.2d 188, 193] (“the debtor’s assent to a contract of adhesion with a 
cognovit clause, or to a confession of judgment form presented by the creditor, cannot operate as 
a valid waiver of constitutional rights.”), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 996 (1978); Commercial 
National Bank of Peoria v. Kermeen (1990) 225 Cal. App. 3d 396, 401 [275 Cal. Rptr. 122, 125] 
(finding that preprinted form note used by bank “suggests overreaching rather than free waiver of 
rights, and we cannot conclude that the waiver was voluntary”). The Supreme Court has also 
highlighted this factor. In D.H. Overmyer Co. v. Frick Co. (1972) 405 U.S. 174, the Supreme 
Court held that a company had lost its due process right to a notice and a hearing to dispute a 
debt by voluntarily, intelligently and knowingly entering into a contract to waive those rights. 
But the Court went on to state: 
Our holding, of course, is not controlling precedent for other facts of other cases. 
For example, where the contract is one of adhesion, where there is great disparity 
in bargaining power, and where the debtor receives nothing for the cognovit 
provision, other legal consequences may ensue. 
Overmyer, 405 U.S. at 188.  
A simple hypothetical helps illustrate the universal nature of these contractual rules. The 
law in California, as elsewhere, is that an individual can waiver her or his constitutional right to 
free speech. E.g., ITT Telecom Products Corp. v. Dooley (1989) 214 Cal. App. 3d 307, 319 [262 
Cal. Rptr. 773, 780]. And indeed, individuals often contract away certain speech rights, such as

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in settlement agreements where one or both parties agree not to publicly criticize the other party.
Imagine if Bank of America’s form contract here had not provided for the waiver of cardholder’s
rights to a jury trial, but had instead provided that all cardholders were contractually bound never
to publicly criticize Bank of America or banks generally. Before any court would enforce such a
provision, the general law of contracts and constitutional law (as amply set forth above) would
require that this provision be unambiguous and unequivocal, and that such a waiver must be
voluntary, intelligent and knowing on the part of the cardholders.
There be no serious question that these principles are squarely applicable to mandatory
arbitration clauses. First, neither the Bankers nor the Management Lawyers deny (as they could
not) that all arbitration contracts represent a waiver of a fundamental right – the right to trial by
jury. Indeed, the whole point of arbitration is to displace the civil justice system, in favor of a
privately-managed system. The Bankers and Management Lawyers want to ensure that their
clients’ disputes with their customers and employees not be brought before judges or juries,
under the rules of evidence, in a system where decisions are made public and are published.
Instead, the Bankers and Management Lawyers and their clients want these decisions to be made
by hired arbitrators. This is all fair enough and legal, if the customers and employees
meaningfully consent to this change. But it cannot be denied that such consent constitutes a
waiver of the right to trial by jury.
Second, neither the Bankers nor the Management Lawyers deny that the right to trial by
jury is fundamental. Not only is this right enshrined in the Seventh Amendment to the United
States Constitution, but it is also recognized as fundamental by the California Constitution. Cal.
Const. art. I, § 16. The courts of California have recognized that the right to jury trial is basic and
fundamental. See Titan Group, Inc. (1985) 164 Cal. App. 3d at 1127-28; Ramirez v. Superior
Court of Santa Clara County (1980) 103 Cal. App. 3d 746, 756 [163 Cal. Rptr. 223, 228] (“The
right to have a trial by jury is a fundamental right in our democratic judicial system.... It is a right
which is justly dear...[and] should be jealously guarded by the courts. Any seeming curtailment
of this right should be scrutinized with the utmost care.”); Byram v. Superior Court (1977) 74
Cal. App. 3d 648, 654 [141 Cal. Rptr. 604, 607] (“right to trial by jury is a basic and fundamental
part of our system of jurisprudence...doubt [regarding procedural waiver of that right] should be
resolved in favor of preserving a litigant’s right to trial by jury”).
Thus, far from being aberrant, the Court of Appeals’ insistence that arbitration clauses
cannot be enforced against parties who did not voluntarily, knowingly and intelligently agree to
waive their rights is in keeping with a broad body of law from around the nation. See, e.g.,
Hooters of America, Inc. v. Phillips (D.S.C. March 12, 1998) 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3962, *83
(“Here, enforcement of the [arbitration agreement] effects a drastic change to several of Phillips’
substantive statutory rights, and therefore, assuming Phillips could waive such rights, at a
minimum Hooters had the burden of proving [the employee’s] knowing and voluntary agreement
to each of those terms.”); Sosa v. Paulos (Utah 1996) 924 P. 2d 357, 363 (“Under these
circumstances, we cannot conclude that the arbitration agreement was negotiated in a fair manner
and that the parties had a real and voluntary meeting of the minds. Nor can we conclude that Ms.
Sosa had a meaningful choice with respect to signing the agreement . . . . . .”); Broemer v.
Abortion Services of Phoenix, Ltd. (Ariz. 1992) 840 P.2d 1013, 1017 (arbitration clause was not
enforced where “[T]here was no conspicuous or explicit waiver of the fundamental right to a jury
trial or any evidence that such rights were knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently waived.”);
Lawrence v. Walzer & Gabrielson (1989) 207 Cal. App. 3d 1501, 1507 [256 Cal. Rptr. 6, 9]

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(“The law ought not to decree a forfeiture of such a valuable right where the [client] has not been
made aware of the existence of an arbitration provision or its implications. Absent notification
and at least some explanation, the [client] cannot be said to have exercised a ‘real choice’ in
selecting arbitration over litigation.”), review denied, 1989 Cal. LEXIS 4710 (May 17, 1989);
Obstetrics and Gynecologists Wixted, Flanagan and Robinson v. Pepper (Nev. 1985) 693 P.2d
1259, 1261 (an arbitration clause was not enforced where the plaintiff had not given “informed
consent to the agreement and . . . no meeting of the minds occurred.” The plaintiff “did not
remember receiving any information regarding the terms of the arbitration agreement,” and that
since the defendant only explained those terms if a question was asked, it appeared that “the
agreement was never explained to respondent.”); Sanchez v. Sirmons (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 1983) 467
N.Y.S.2d 757, 759-60 (an arbitration clause was not enforced where“it has not been
demonstrated that the petitioner made an informed and knowledgeable waiver of her
constitutional right to trial by jury. . . . Absent notification and at least some explanation, the
patient cannot be said to have exercised a ‘real choice’ in selecting arbitration over litigation.”
(citations omitted).)
Conclusion
For the foregoing reasons, the request for depublication should be denied.
Respectfully submitted,

F. Paul Bland, Jr.
Victoria Nugent
Trial Lawyers for Public Justice

PROOF OF SERVICE BY MAIL

I, Paula Athey, declare as follows:

I am employed with the law firm of Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, 1717 Massachusetts
Avenue, Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20036. I am readily familiar with the business practices of
this office for collection and processing of correspondence for mailing with the United States
Postal Service; I am over the age of eighteen years and not a party to this action.

On January 20, 1999, I served the following:

LETTER OF THE TRIAL LAWYERS FOR PUBLIC JUSTICE IN
OPPOSITION TO THE REQUEST FOR DEPUBLICATION

on the below parties in this action by placing true copies thereof in sealed envelopes, addressed
as shown, for collection and mailing pursuant to the ordinary business practice of this office
which is that correspondence for mailing is collected and deposited with the United States Postal
Service on the same day in the ordinary course of business:

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Honorable Thomas J. Mellon, Jr. 
San Francisco Superior Court 
400 McAllister Street 
San Francisco, CA 94102  
Consumer Law Section 
Attorney General’s Office 
50 Fremont Street, Suite 300 
San Francisco, CA 94105 
Clerk of the Court 
California Court of Appeal 
First Appellate District 
303 Second Street, South Tower 
Division 3 
San Francisco, CA 94107 
James C. Sturdevant, Esq. 
Jack P. Hug, Esq. 
The Sturdevant Law Firm 
475 Sansome Street, Suite 1750 
San Francisco, CA 94111-3141 
Stephen V. Bomse, Esq. 
Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe 
333 Bush Street 
San Francisco, CA 94104 
Alan S. Kaplinsky, Esq. 
Mark J. Levin, Esq. 
Ballard, Spahr, Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP 
1735 5 Market Street 
51st Floor  
Philadelphia, PA 19103 
Seth M Hufstedler, Esq. 
Kathleen V. Fisher, Esq. 
James M. Schurz, Esq. 
Maria Chedid, Esq. 
James R. McGuire, Esq. 
Morrison & Foerster LLP 
425 Market Street 
San Francisco, CA 94105-2482  
Paul Grossman, Esq. 
California Employment Law Council 
555 So. Flower Street, 23rd Floor 
Los Angeles, CA 90071 
John F. Cooney, Esq. 
Arne D. Wagner, Esq. 
Bank of America NT&SA 
Office of General Counsel 
555 California Street, 7th Floor 
San Francisco, CA 94137  
  
  
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the District of Columbia that the 
foregoing is true and correct. 
 Executed at Washington, D.C. on January 20, 1999. 
   
Paula Athey

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January 2006
Dear Californian:
Welcome to the official source of laws relating to notaries pub lic in California.  You have
demonstrated an interest in becoming part of a growing profession of more than 260,000 public
officials who perform invaluable services to the legal, busines s, financial, and real estate
communities.
This Notary Public Handbook  has been designed for you to supplement your course of study,
which will prepare you for the notary public examination.  It is strongly recommended that, once
commissioned, you keep your Notary Public Handbook to use as a ready reference to assist you
in the performance of your duties as a notary public.
New legislation adopted and effective January 1, 2006, amended  Civil Code section 1189,
Government Code section 8225, Penal Code section 470, and Famil y Code section 9003; and
added Government Code sections 8214.8 and 8228.1.  These amendm ents and new laws
standardize the certificate of acknowledgment, which is the most common form used by notaries
public; and apply strict penalties to persons who willfully violate notary laws with regard to the
notary public journal and the notary public seal.  Although not previously included in the Notary
Public Handbook, new legislation amended Family Code section 9003 to authorize, in a stepparent
adoption, the consent of either or both birth parents to be sig ned in the presence of a notary
public.
Look for a summary of the amendments and new laws in the section  entitled, AMENDMENTS
AND NEW LAWS EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2006, which is new to the Notary Public Handbook
this year.  Information concerning the amendments and new laws listed above are addressed in
this section for your convenience.  The text of the amendments and new laws is included in the
appropriate code portion of the handbook.  As you know, keeping up-to-date with changes in the
law enables you to perform your duties with confidence.  In add ition, the General Information
portion has been expanded to include detailed information about identification, conflicts of interest,
and subscribing witnesses.
A copy of the Notary Public Handbook , as well as additional information regarding the
qualifications and procedures you must follow to become a notar y public, are available on the
Secretary of State’s website at www.ss.ca.gov/business/notary/notary.htm.
On behalf of the people of California, thank you for your inter est in performing an important
public service as a notary public.
Sincerely,
Notary Public & Special Filings Section
Business Programs Division
Secretary of State
State of California

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Page
Amendments and New Laws Effective January 1, 2006 ........................................................ 4
General Information ............................................................................................................... 5
Appointment and Qualifications ................................................................................ 5
Convictions ........................................................................................................ 5
Notary Public Education.................................................................................... 5
Requirements and Time Limit for Qualifying ........................................................... 6
Notary Public Bonds ................................................................................................. 6
Geographic Jurisdiction ............................................................................................. 6
Acts Constituting the Practice of Law ....................................................................... 6
Notary Public Seal ..................................................................................................... 6
Identification .............................................................................................................. 7
Notary Public Journal ................................................................................................ 9
Conflict of Interest ................................................................................................... 10
Acknowledgment ..................................................................................................... 10
Jurat ......................................................................................................................... 11
Proof of Execution by a Subscribing Witness ......................................................... 12
Signature by Mark ................................................................................................... 14
Powers of Attorney - Certifying .............................................................................. 15
Notarization of Incomplete Documents................................................................... 15
Certified Copies ....................................................................................................... 15
Illegal Advertising ................................................................................................... 15
Immigration Documents .......................................................................................... 16
Confidential Marriage Licenses .............................................................................. 16
Grounds for Denial, Revocation, or
Suspension of Appointment and Commission ...................... .............................. 16
Disciplinary Guidelines ........................................................................................... 16
Fees .......................................................................................................................... 17
Change of Address ................................................................................................... 17
Foreign Language .................................................................................................... 17
Common Questions and Answers ............................................................................ 18
Government Code ................................................................................................................. 21
Civil Code ............................................................................................................................. 36
Code of Civil Procedure ....................................................................................................... 40
Elections Code ...................................................................................................................... 40
Commercial Code ................................................................................................................. 41
Probate Code ........................................................................................................................ 41
Family Code ......................................................................................................................... 41
Penal Code ............................................................................................................................ 42
TABLE OF CONTENTS

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4
AMENDMENTS AND NEW LAWS EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2006
The Governor signed the following bills, which became effective January 1, 2006:
• Assembly Bill 361, chaptered as Statutes of 2005, Chapter 295, makes several significant
changes in current notarial law as described below:
- Under the new law, the California certificate of acknowledgmen t must be in the form set
forth in the statute, rather than “substantially ” in the form.  The form set forth in the
statute did not change, but variations in the California form are no longer permitted.  (The
law regarding acknowledgments to be used with documents filed i n other states was not
changed.)  (Civil Code section 1189)
- If a notary public is convicted of a crime related to notarial  misconduct, including the
completion of a false notarial certificate, or of any felony, the court must revoke the notary
public’s commission and require the notary public to surrender to the court the notary
public seal.  The court will then forward the notary  public’s seal to the Secretary of State.
(Government Code section 8214.8)
- Any person who solicits, coerces, or in any manner influences a notary public to improperly
maintain the notary public’s journal is guilty of a misdemeanor.  (Government Code section
8225)
- A notary public is guilty of a misdemeanor if the notary publi c does any of the following
(Government Code section 8228.1):
- Willfully fails to properly maintain the notary public ’s journal; or
- Willfully fails to notify the Secretary of State if the notary  public ’s journal is lost,
stolen, rendered unusable or surrendered to a peace officer; or
- Willfully fails to permit a lawful inspection or copying of th e notary public’s journal; or
- Willfully fails to keep the notary public ’s seal under the notary public ’s direct and
exclusive control; or
- Willfully surrenders the notary public seal to any person not authorized to possess it.
- A notary public may be guilty of forgery if the notary public issues an acknowledgment
knowing it to be false.  A person who falsifies the acknowledgment of a notary public may
also be guilty of forgery.  (Penal Code section 470(d))  Forger y is punishable by
imprisonment in the state prison, or by imprisonment in the cou nty jail for not more than
one year.  (Penal Code section 473)
• Senate Bill 302 was chaptered as Statutes of 2005, Chapter 627, and authorizes, in a stepparent
adoption, the consent of either or both birth parents to be sig ned in the presence of a notary
public.  (Family Code section 9003)

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5GENERAL INFORMATION
APPOINTMENT AND QUALIFICATIONS
In order to qualify to become a notary public you must meet all of the following requirements:
(Government Code section 8201)
1. Be a resident of the State of California;
2. Be at least 18 years of age;
3. Satisfactorily complete a course of study approved by the Sec retary of State;
4. Pass a written examination prescribed by the Secretary of Sta te;
5. Be able to read, write, and understand English; and
6. Pass a background check.
To determine if a person meets the requirements to fulfill the responsibilities of the position,
a completed application shall be submitted at the examination s ite, then forwarded to the
Office of the Secretary of State and reviewed by Secretary of S tate staff for qualifying
information.
To assist the Secretary of State in determining the identity of an applicant and whether the
applicant has been convicted of a disqualifying crime, state la w requires all applicants to be
fingerprinted as part of a thorough background check prior to being granted an appointment
as a notary public. (Government Code section 8201.1) Informat ion concerning the
fingerprinting requirements will be mailed to candidates who pa ss the examination.
Commissioned notaries seeking reappointment with less than a six-month break in service are
not required to have their fingerprints retaken. Those applicants who have held a notary public
commission in the past, but have had a break in their commission of more than six months, are
required to have their fingerprints submitted via live scan.
Convictions
Applicants are required to disclose arrests for which trials ar e pending and all convictions
on their applications, including convictions dismissed under Pe nal Code section 1203.4 or
1203.4a. If you have any questions concerning the disclosure of convictions or arrests, contact
the Secretary of State prior to signing the application. If you do not recall the specifics about
your arrest(s) and/or conviction(s), you can contact the California Department of Justice at
(916) 227-3849.
The Secretary of State may deny an application for the followin g reasons: (Government
Code section 8214.1 and the Notary Public Disciplinary Guidelines (2001))
- Failure to disclose any conviction;
- Conviction of a felony; or
- Conviction of a disqualifying misdemeanor when less than 10 ye ars have passed since
the completion of probation.
The applicant has the right to appeal the denial through the ad ministrative hearing process.
(Government Code section 8214.3)
Please refer to the Secretary of State’s Notary Public Disciplinary Guidelines (2001), for a
list of the most common disqualifying convictions. The disciplinary guidelines are available
on the Secretary of State’s website or can be mailed to you upon request. Please refer to the
inside front cover of this handbook for our website and mailing addresses.
Notary Public Education
All persons appointed on or after July 1, 2005, are required to take and satisfactorily complete
a six-hour course of study approved by the Secretary of State prior to appointment as a notary
public. Please note that all persons being appointed, no matter how many commission terms
that person has held in the past, are required to take the init ial six-hour course of study.
(Government Code section 8201(a)(3) and (b)) In addition, the Secretary of State reviews and

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6 GENERAL INFORMATION
approves any course of study that includes all material that a person is expected to know to
satisfactorily complete the written examination.  The Secretary of State compiles a list of all
persons offering an approved course of study and provides this list with the Notary Public
Handbook and on the Secretary of State’s website. (Government Code section 8201.2)
REQUIREMENTS AND TIME LIMIT FOR QUALIFYING
Once the commission has been issued, a person has 30 calendar days to take, subscribe, and
file an oath of office and file a $15,000 surety bond with the county clerk ’s office. The
commission does not take effect until the oath and bond are fil ed with the county clerk’s
office.  The filing must take place in the county where the notary public maintains a principal
place of business as shown in the application on file with the Secretary of State.  If the oath and
bond are not filed within the 30-calendar-day time period, the commission will not be valid,
and the person commissioned may not act as a notary public until a new appointment is obtained
and the person has properly qualified within the 30-calendar-da y time limit.  Government
Code section 8213(a) permits the mailing of completed oaths and  bonds to the applicable
county clerk for filing of the initial oath and bond.  It shoul d be noted that exceptions to the
30-day filing requirement are not made due to mail service or county clerk mail processing
delays or for any other reason.  If mailing an oath and bond to the county clerk, sufficient time
must be allowed by the newly appointed notary public to ensure timely filing.  (Government
Code sections 8212 and 8213)
NOTARY PUBLIC BONDS
In order to provide some protection to the public, California law requires every notary public
to file an official bond in the amount of $15,000. It is important to note that the notary public
bond is not an insurance policy for the notary public. It is designed only to provide a limited
fund for paying claims against the notary public. The notary public remains personally liable
to the full extent of the damage sustained and may be required to reimburse the bonding
company for sums paid by the company because of misconduct or n egligence of the notary
public.  (Government Code sections 8212 to 8214)
GEOGRAPHIC JURISDICTION
A notary public can provide notarial services throughout the St ate of California.  A notary
public is not limited to providing services only in the county where the oath and bond are on
file.  In virtually all of the certificates the notary public is called on to complete, there will be
a venue heading such as “State of California, County of ___________.” The county named in
the heading is the county where the signer personally appeared before the notary public and
acknowledged signing the document or where the signer swore to (or affirmed) and signed the
document before the notary public in the case of a jurat.  (Government Code section 8200)
ACTS CONSTITUTING THE PRACTICE OF LAW
California notaries are prohibited from performing any duties w hich may be construed as
the unlawful practice of law. Among the acts which constitute t he practice of law are the
preparation, drafting, or selection or determination of the kind of any legal document, or giving
advice with relation to any legal documents or matters.  If ask ed to perform such tasks, a
California notary public should decline and refer the requester to an attorney.
NOTARY PUBLIC SEAL
Each notary public is required to have and to use a seal. The s eal must be kept in a locked
and secured area, under the direct and exclusive control of the notary public and must not be

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7GENERAL INFORMATION
surrendered to an employer upon termination of employment, whet her or not the employer
paid for the seal, or to any other person.
Because of the legal requirement that the seal be photographically reproducible, the rubber
stamp seal has become all but universal; however, notaries may also use an embosser seal in
addition to the rubber stamp. The legal requirements for a seal are shown below.  (Government
Code section 8207)
1. It is photographically reproducible when it is affixed to a d ocument.
2. It contains the State Seal and the words “Notary Public.”
3. It contains the name of the notary public as shown on the com mission.
4. It contains the name of the county where the oath of office a nd notary public bond are
on file.
5. It contains the expiration date of the notary public commissi on.
6. It contains the sequential identification number (commission number) assigned to the
notary public as well as the identification number assigned to the manufacturer or vendor.
7.  It may be circular not over two inches in diameter, or may be a rectangular form of not
more than one inch in width by two and one-half inches in lengt h, with a serrated or
milled edged border.
Many documents that are acknowledged may later be recorded. A d ocument may not be
accepted by the recorder if the notary public seal is illegible . Notaries are cautioned to take
care that the notary public stamp leaves a clear impression. Al l the elements must be easily
discernible. The seal should not be placed over signatures or any printed matter on the document.
An illegible or improperly placed seal may result in rejection of the document for recordation
and result in inconveniences and extra expenses for all those involved.
The law allows a condition under which a notary public may auth enticate an official act
without using an official notary public seal. Because subdivision maps are usually drawn on a
material that will not accept standard stamp pad ink and other acceptable inks are not as
readily available, acknowledgments for California subdivision map certificates may be notarized
without the official seal. The notary public’s name, the county of the notary public’s principal
place of business, and the commission expiration date must be t yped or printed below or
immediately adjacent to the notary public’s signature on the ac knowledgment. (Government
Code section 66436(c))
A NOTARY PUBLIC SHALL NOT USE THE OFFICIAL SEAL OR THE TITLE NOTARY
PUBLIC FOR ANY PURPOSE OTHER THAN THE RENDERING OF NOTARIAL
SERVICE. (Government Code section 8207)
A notary public is guilty of a misdemeanor if the notary public willfully fails to keep his or
her notary public seal under the notary public’s direct and exc lusive control or if the notary
public willfully surrenders the notary public’s seal to any person not authorized to possess it.
(Government Code section 8228.1)
When the notary public commission is no longer valid, the notary public seal must be destroyed
to protect the notary public from possible fraudulent use by another.  (Government Code section
8207)
IDENTIFICATION
When completing a certificate of acknowledgment or a jurat, a notary public is required to
certify to the identity of the signer of the document (Civil Co de sections 1185(a), 1189,
Government Code section 8202).  Identity is established if the notary personally knows the
signer or if the notary public is presented with satisfactory evidence of the signer’s identity.
(Civil Code section 1185(a)).
Personally Knows – “Personally Knows” means having an acquaintance, derived fro m

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8 GENERAL INFORMATION
association with the individual in relation to other people and  based upon a chain of
circumstances surrounding the individual, which establishes the individual’s identity with at
least reasonable certainty (Civil Code section 1185(b)).
Satisfactory Evidence – “Satisfactory Evidence” means the absence of any information ,
evidence, or other circumstances which would lead a reasonable person to believe that the
individual is not the individual he or she claims to be and (A) Paper Identification Documents
or (B) the oath of a single credible witness or (C) the oaths of two credible witnesses, as
specified below:
A. Paper Identification Documents  – Identity of the signer can be established by the
notary public’s reasonable reliance on the presentation of any one of the following documents,
provided that the identification document is current or has been issued within five years
(Civil Code section 1185(c)(3) & (4)):
1. An identification card or driver’s license issued by the Cali fornia Department of Motor
Vehicles;
2. A United States passport;
3. Other State-approved identification card, consisting of any one of the following, provided
that it also contains a photograph, description of the person, signature of the person, and
an identifying number –
(a) A passport issued by a foreign government, provided that it has been stamped by the
U.S. Immigration or Naturalization Service or the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services;
(b) A driver’s license issued by another state or by a Canadian or Mexican public agency
authorized to issue drivers’ licenses;
(c) An identification card issued by another state;
(d) A military identification card;
(e) An inmate identification card issued by California Departmen t of Corrections, if the
inmate is in custody.
NOTE:  The notary public must include in his or her journal the  type of identifying
document, the governmental agency issuing the document, the serial or identifying number
of the document, and the date of issue or expiration of the doc ument that was used to
establish the identity of the signer (Government Code section 8206(a)(2)(D)).
B. Oath of a Single Credible Witness – The identity of the signer can be established by
the oath of a single credible witness whom the notary public personally knows (Civil Code
section 1185(c)(1)).  Under oath, the credible witness must swe ar or affirm under penalty of
perjury that each of the following is true (Civil Code section 1185(c)(1)(A)-(E)):
1. The individual appearing before the notary as the signer of t he document is the person
named in the document;
2. The credible witness personally knows the signer;
3. The credible witness reasonably believes that the circumstanc es of the signer are such
that it would be very difficult or impossible for the signer to obtain another form of identification;
4. The signer does not possess any of the identification documen ts authorized by law to
establish the signer’s identity;
5. The credible witness does not have a financial interest and is not named in the document
signed.
NOTE:  The single credible witness must sign the notary public’s journal (Government
Code section 8206(a)(2)(D)).  No paper identification document is used since the notary
personally knows the single credible witness (Civil Code section 1185(c)(1)).
C. Oaths of Two Credible Witnesses – The identity of the signer can be established by the
oaths of two credible witnesses  whom the notary public does not personally know (Civil
Code section 1185(c)(2)).  However, in such a case, the notary public must first establish the
identities of the two credible witnesses by the presentation of paper identification documents

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9GENERAL INFORMATION
as set forth above.  Under oath, the credible witnesses must then swear or affirm under penalty
of perjury to each of the things sworn to or affirmed by a single credible witness, as set forth
above. (Civil Code sections 1185(c)(2) and 1185(c)(1)(A)-(E)).
NOTE:  The credible witnesses must sign the notary public’s jou rnal and the notary
public must indicate in his or her journal the type of identifying documents, the identifying
numbers of the documents and the dates of issuance or expiratio n of the documents
presented by the witnesses to establish their identities (Gover nment Code section
8206(a)(2)(E)).
NOTARY PUBLIC JOURNAL
A notary public is required to keep one active sequential journal at a time of all acts performed
as a notary public.  The journal must be kept in a locked and secured area (such as a lock box
or locked desk drawer), under the direct and exclusive control of the notary public.  The journal
shall include the items shown below.  (Government Code section 8206(a))
1. Date, time and type of each official act (e.g. acknowledgment , jurat).
2. Character of every instrument sworn to, affirmed, acknowledge d or proved before the
notary public (e.g. deed of trust)
3. The signature of each person whose signature is being notariz ed.
4. A statement as to whether the identity of a person making an acknowledgment or taking
an oath or affirmation was based on personal knowledge or satis factory evidence. If identity
was established by satisfactory evidence pursuant to Civil Code section 1185, then the journal
shall contain the signature of the credible witness swearing or affirming to the identity of the
individual or the type of identifying document, the governmental agency issuing the document,
the serial or identifying number of the document, and the date of issue or expiration of the
document.  (e.g., driver’s license, [State] Department of Motor Vehicles, #X00000, 00/00/00.)
5. If the identity of the person making the acknowledgment or taking the oath or affirmation
was established by the oaths or affirmations of two credible wi tnesses whose identities are
proven upon the presentation of satisfactory evidence, the type of identifying documents, the
identifying numbers of the documents and the dates of issuance or expiration of the documents
presented by the witnesses to establish their identity.  (e.g., driver’s license, [State] Department
of Motor Vehicles, #X00000, 00/00/00.)
6. The fee charged for the notarial service.
7. If the document to be notarized is a deed, quitclaim deed, or  deed of trust affecting real
property, the notary public shall require the party signing the  document to place his or her
right thumbprint in the journal. If the right thumbprint is not available, then the notary public
shall have the party use his or her left thumb, or any available finger and shall so indicate in the
journal. If the party signing the document is physically unable to provide a thumb or fingerprint,
the notary public shall so indicate in the journal and shall also provide an explanation of that
physical condition.
If the sequential journal is stolen, lost, misplaced, destroyed, damaged, or otherwise rendered
unusable, the notary public must immediately notify the Secretary of State by certified or
registered mail.  The notification must include the periods of journal entries, the notary public
commission number, the commission expiration date, and, when ap plicable, a photocopy of
the police report that lists the journal.  (Government Code section 8206(b))
A notary public must provide a photo static copy of a line item from his or her journal when
provided with a written request from any member of the public.  The written request shall
include the name of the parties, the type of document, and the month and year in which the
document was notarized.  The cost must not exceed thirty cents ($0.30) per page.  (Government
Code section 8206(c))

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10 GENERAL INFORMATION
The sequential journal is the exclusive property of the notary public and shall not be
surrendered to an employer upon termination of employment, whet her or not the employer
paid for the journal, or at any other time.  The circumstances in which the notary public must
relinquish the journal or permit inspection and copying of journal transactions and the procedures
the notary public must follow are specified in Government Code section 8206(d).
A notary public is guilty of a misdemeanor if the notary public  willfully fails to properly
maintain the notary public’s journal.  (Government Code section 8228.1)
Within 30 days from the date the notary public commission is no  longer valid, the notary
public must deliver all notarial journals, records and papers to the county clerk’s office where
the oath is on file.  If the notary public willfully fails or refuses to do so, the notary public is
guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be personally liable for damages to any person injured by
that action or inaction.  (Government Code section 8209) Any no tarial journals, records and
papers delivered to the Secretary of State will be returned to the sender.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
A notary public is not prohibited from notarizing for relatives  or others, unless doing so
would provide a direct financial or beneficial interest to the notary public.  With California’s
community property law, care should be exercised if notarizing for a spouse or a domestic
partner.
A notary public would have a direct financial or beneficial int erest to a transaction in the
following situations:  (Government Code section 8224)
• If a notary public is named, individually, as a principal to a  financial transaction.
• If a notary public is named, individually, as any of the follo wing to a real property
transaction:  beneficiary, grantor, grantee, mortgagor, mortgagee, trustor, trustee, vendor,
vendee, lessor, or lessee.
A notary public does not have a direct financial or beneficial interest in a transaction if a
notary is acting in the capacity of an agent, employee, insurer, attorney, escrow, or lender for a
person having a direct financial or beneficial interest in the transaction.
If in doubt as to whether or not to notarize, it is recommended that you seek the advice of an
attorney.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The form most frequently completed by the notary public is the certificate of acknowledgment.
The certificate of acknowledgment must be in the form set forth in Civil Code section 1189. In
the certificate of acknowledgment, the notary public certifies:
1. That the signer personally appeared before the notary public on the date indicated in
the county indicated.
2. To the identity of the signer.
3. That the signer acknowledged executing the document.
The notary public sequential journal must contain a statement as to whether the identity of a
person making the acknowledgment or taking the oath or affirmat ion was based on personal
knowledge or satisfactory evidence. If identity was established based on satisfactory evidence,
then the journal shall contain the signature of the credible witness swearing or affirming to the
identity of the individual or the type of identifying document used to establish the person’s
identity, the governmental agency issuing the document, the ser ial or identifying number of
the document, and the date of issue or expiration of the document.  If the identity of the person
making the acknowledgment or taking the oath or affirmation was established by the oaths or
affirmations of two credible witnesses whose identities are pro ven upon the presentation of
satisfactory evidence, then the journal shall contain the type of identifying documents, the

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11GENERAL INFORMATION
identifying numbers of the documents and the dates of issuance or expiration of the documents
presented by the witnesses to establish their identity.
The certificate of acknowledgment must be completely filled out  at the time the notary
public’s signature and seal are affixed.
The completion of a certificate of acknowledgment that contains statements that the notary
public knows to be false not only may cause the notary public t o be liable for civil penalties
and administrative action, but is also a criminal offense.
A notary public may complete a certificate of acknowledgment required in another state or
jurisdiction of the United States on documents to be filed in t hat other state or jurisdiction,
provided the form does not require the notary public to determi ne or certify that the signer
holds a particular representative capacity or to make other det erminations and certifications
not allowed by California law.
Any certificate of acknowledgment taken within this state shall be in  the following form:
NOTE:  Key wording of an acknowledgment is “personally appeared.”  It is not acceptable
to affix an acknowledgment to a document mailed or otherwise de livered to a notary public
whereby the signer did NOT personally appear before the notary public, even if the signer is
known by the notary public.  Also, it is not acceptable to affix a notary public seal and signature
to a document without the notarial wording.
JURAT
The second form most frequently completed by a notary public is  the jurat.  (Government
Code section 8202) The jurat is identified by the wording “Subs cribed and sworn to (or
affirmed)” contained in the form.  In the jurat, the notary public certifies:
1. That the signer personally appeared before the notary public on the date indicated and
in the county indicated.
2. That the signer signed the document in the presence of the no tary public.
3. That the notary public administered the oath or affirmation.*
4. To the identity of the signer.
State of California
}County of _________
On __________ before me, (here insert name and title of the officer), personally
appeared
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________ ,
personally known to me (or proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence) to be
the person(s) whose name(s) is/are subscribed to the within instrument and
acknowledged to me that he/she/they executed the same in his/her/their authorized
capacity(ies), and that by his/her/their signature(s) on the instrument the person(s), or
the entity upon behalf of which the person(s) acted, executed the instrument.
WITNESS my hand and official seal.
NOTARY PUBLIC SIGNATURE NOTARY PUBLIC SEAL

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12 GENERAL INFORMATION
Any jurat taken within this state shall be in the following form:
NOTE:  Key wording of a jurat is “subscribed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me.”  It is
not acceptable to affix a jurat to a document mailed or otherwise delivered to a notary public
whereby the signer did NOT personally appear, take an oath, and sign in the presence of the
notary public, even if the signer is known by the notary public .  Also, it is not acceptable to
affix a notary public seal and signature to a document without the notarial wording.
*There is no prescribed wording for the oath, but an acceptable  oath would be “Do you
swear or affirm that the statements in this document are true?” When administering the oath,
the signer and notary public traditionally each raise their rig ht hand but this is not a legal
requirement.
PROOF OF EXECUTION BY A SUBSCRIBING WITNESS
If a person, called the principal, has signed a document, but cannot personally appear before
a notary public, another individual can appear on that principal’s behalf to prove the execution
by the principal.  That person is called a subscribing witness. (Civil Code section 1195)
NOTE: A proof of execution by a subscribing witness cannot be us ed in conjunction
with any quitclaim deed, grant deed document (other than a trustee’s deed or a deed of
reconveyance), mortgage, deed of trust or security agreement. (Government Code section
27287)
The requirements for proof of execution by a subscribing witness are as follows:
1. The subscribing witness must say, under oath, that he or she personally knows the
principal (Civil Code section 1197); and
2. The subscribing witness must say, under oath, that he or she either saw the principal
sign the document or heard the principal acknowledge that he or  she signed the
document. (Code of Civil Procedure section 1935; Civil Code sec tion 1195); and
3. The subscribing witness must say, under oath, that he or she was requested by the
principal to sign the document as a witness and that he or she did so (Code of Civil
Procedure section 1935, Civil Code section 1195); and
4. The notary public must identify the subscribing witness based on personal knowledge
or the identity of the subscribing witness must be proven to th e notary public by the
oath of a third person (credible witness) who personally knows the subscribing witness.
The credible witness must be personally known by the notary pub lic (Civil Code
sections 1195, 1196); and
5. The subscribing witness must sign the notary public’s officia l journal. (Government
Code section 8206(a)(2)(C)) In addition, if the identity of the  subscribing witness
was established by a  credible witness, then the credible witne ss must also sign the
notary public’s official journal. (Government Code section 8206 (a)(2)(D))
State of California
County of ________________
Subscribed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on this _____ day of _______, 20__, by
_______________________, personally known to me or proved to me  on the basis of
satisfactory evidence to be the person(s) who appeared before me.
NOTARY PUBLIC SIGNATURE NOTARY PUBLIC SEAL

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13GENERAL INFORMATION
NOTE: Paper identification cannot be used to establish the ide ntity of the principal,
subscribing witness or credible witness. This is because the i dentity of the principal is
established by the oath of the subscribing witness who personal ly knows the principal.
The identity of the subscribing witness is established by the n otary public’s personal
knowledge of the subscribing witness or the oath of a credible witness who personally
knows the subscribing witness. The identity of the credible witness is based on the personal
knowledge of the notary public.
The following scenario provides an example of how proof by a su bscribing witness may be
used:
The principal, Wayne, needs to have his signature on a document notarized.
Wayne is in the hospital and, therefore, cannot appear before S ally, the Notary Public, in
order to get his signature notarized.
Brian, a longtime friend of Wayne, is at the hospital visiting Wayne. Wayne asks Brian to
sign the document as a Subscribing Witness and Brian does so. Wayne could have either signed
the document in Brian’s presence or have signed it prior to Bri an’s arrival. If the document
was signed prior to Brian’s arrival, Wayne would need to acknow ledge to Brian that he,
Wayne, had signed the document. Wayne gives the document to Bri an to take to Sally, who
personally knows Brian.
Sally places Brian under oath. Under oath, Brian swears or affirms that he personally knows
Wayne, he saw Wayne sign the document (or heard Wayne acknowled ge signing the
document), Wayne requested that he, Brian, sign as a witness an d he, Brian, did so. Brian
signs Sally’s notary public journal as the subscribing witness. Sally completes the Proof of
Execution Certificate and attaches it to the document. She then completes her notary journal
entry. (Sally must identify Brian through personal knowledge. N o paper identification is
permitted.) Brian takes the document back to Wayne.
Shown below is a suggested format for proof of execution by a s ubscribing witness (Civil
Code section 1195). Other formats with similar wording may also be acceptable.
NOTE: It is not acceptable to affix a notary public seal and signature to a document without
the notarial wording.
State of California
}
ss.County of _____________
On __________ (date), before me, the undersigned, a notary public for the state, personally
appeared _________________ (subscribing witness’s name), person ally known to me
(or proved to me on the oath of _________________ [credible wit ness’s name], who is
personally known to me) to be the person whose name is subscrib ed to the within
instrument, as a witness thereto, who, being by me duly sworn, deposed and said that he/
she was present and saw/heard _________________ (name[s] of principal[s]), the same
person(s) described in and whose name(s) is/are subscribed to t he within and annexed
instrument in his/her/their authorized capacity(ies) as (a) par ty (ies) thereto, execute or
acknowledge executing the same, and that said affiant subscribe d his/her name to the
within instrument as a witness at the request of ______________ ___ (name[s] of
principal[s]).
WITNESS my hand and official seal.
NOTARY PUBLIC SIGNATURE NOTARY PUBLIC SEAL

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14 GENERAL INFORMATION
SIGNATURE BY MARK
When the signer of an instrument cannot write (sign) his or her name, that person may sign
the document by mark. (Civil Code section 14)  The requirements for notarizing a signature by
mark are as follows:
1. The person signing the document by mark must be identified by  the notary public by
either personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence. (Civil Code  section 1185)
2. The signer’s mark must be witnessed by two persons who must s ubscribe their own
names as witnesses on the document.  One witness should write the person’s name next
to the person’s mark and then the witness should sign his or her name as a witness.  The
witnesses are only verifying that they witnessed the individual  make his or her mark on
the document.  A notary public is not required to identify the two persons who witnessed
the signing by mark or to have the two witnesses sign the notar y public’s journal.
EXCEPTION:  If the witnesses were acting in the capacity of credible witn esses in
establishing the identity of the person signing by mark, then the witnesses’ signatures
must be entered in the notary public’s journal.
Following is an example of a document executed by Signature by Mark:
NOTE:  It is not acceptable to affix a notary public seal and signature to a document without
the notarial wording.
I, Bob Smith, give my power of attorney to Jane Brown to act as my Attorney on all matters
pertaining to the handling of my estate, finances, and investments.  This Power of Attorney
is to remain in effect until another document revoking this ins trument has been filed of
record thereby rendering this instrument null and void.
Date: Feb. 5, 1998 Name: By:
Witness #1
Witness #2
State of California
}
 ss.County of ___________
On February 5, 1998, before me, John Doe, a notary public for t he State of California,
personally appeared Bob Smith, personally known to me (or proved to me on the basis of
satisfactory evidence) to be the person(s) whose name(s) is/are subscribed to the within
instrument and acknowledged to me that he/she/they executed the same in his/her/their
authorized capacity(ies), and that by his/her/their signature(s) on the instrument the person(s),
or the entity upon behalf of which the person(s) acted, executed the instrument.
WITNESS my hand and official seal.
NOTARY PUBLIC SIGNATURE NOTARY PUBLIC SEAL

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15GENERAL INFORMATION
POWERS OF ATTORNEY - CERTIFYING
A notary public can certify copies of powers of attorney.  A ce rtified copy of a power of
attorney that has been certified by a notary public has the same force and effect as the original
power of attorney.  (Probate Code section 4307)
A suggested format for the certification is shown below.  Other formats with similar wording
may also be acceptable.
NOTE:  It is not acceptable to affix a notary public seal and signature to a document without
the notarial wording.
NOTARIZATION OF INCOMPLETE DOCUMENTS
A notary public may not notarize a document which is incomplete . If presented with a
document for notarization, which the notary public knows from h is or her experience to be
incomplete or is without doubt on its face incomplete, the notary public must refuse to notarize
the document.  (Government Code section 8205)
CERTIFIED COPIES
California statute specifies that a notary public may only certify copies of powers of attorney
under Probate Code section 4307, and copies of his or her notary public journal. (Government
Code sections 8205(a)(4) and 8205(b)(1))
Certified copies of birth, fetal death, death, and marriage records may be made only by the
State Registrar, by duly appointed and acting local registrars during their term of office, and
by county recorders. (Health & Safety Code section 103545)
ILLEGAL ADVERTISING
California law requires any non-attorney notary public who advertises notarial services in a
language other than English to post a prescribed notice, in English and the other language, that
the notary public is not an attorney and cannot give legal advi ce about immigration or any
other legal matters. The notary public must also list the fees set by statute which a notary
public may charge for notarial services. In any event, a notary  public may not translate the
term “Notary Public,” defined as “notario publico” or “notario, ” into Spanish, even if the
prescribed notice is also posted. A first offense of this law i s grounds for the suspension or
revocation of a notary public’s commission.  A second offense shall be grounds for the permanent
revocation of a notary public’s commission. (Government Code section 8219.5)
A notary public is legally barred from advertising in any manner whatsoever that he or she is
a notary public if the notary public promotes himself or herself as an immigration specialist or
consultant. (Government Code section 8223)
State of California
}
 ss.County of _______________
I        (name of notary public)       , Notary Public, certify that on        (date)     , I examined
the original power of attorney and the copy of the power of attorney.  I further certify that
the copy is a true and correct copy of the original power of attorney.
NOTARY PUBLIC SIGNATURE NOTARY PUBLIC SEAL

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16 GENERAL INFORMATION
IMMIGRATION DOCUMENTS
Contrary to popular belief, there is no prohibition against notarizing immigration documents.
However, several laws specifically outline what a notary public  can and cannot do. Only a
person who is qualified and bonded as an immigration consultant  under the Business and
Professions Code may assist a client in completing immigration forms.  A notary public may
not charge any individual more than $10 for each set of forms, unless the notary public is also
an attorney who is rendering professional services as an attorney. (Government Code section
8223)
CONFIDENTIAL MARRIAGE LICENSES
A notary public who is interested in authorizing confidential marriages may apply for approval
to the county clerk in the county in which the notary public resides.  A notary public shall not
authorize a confidential marriage unless he or she is approved by the county clerk having
jurisdiction.  The county clerk offers a course of instruction, which a notary public must complete
before authorization will be granted.  Additionally, in order for a notary public to perform the
marriage, he/she must be one of the persons authorized under Fa mily Code sections 400 to
402, e.g., priest, minister, or rabbi. The county clerk in the county where the notary public
resides may or may not approve the authorizing of confidential marriages.  It is best to check
with the county clerk if interested in obtaining approval.
GROUNDS FOR DENIAL, REVOCATION, OR SUSPENSION OF
APPOINTMENT AND COMMISSION
The Secretary of State may refuse to appoint any person as notary public or may revoke or
suspend the commission of a notary public for specific reasons.  These reasons include but are
not limited to:  a substantial misstatement or omission in the application; conviction of a
felony or a disqualifying criminal conviction; failure to furni sh the Secretary of State with
certified copies of the notary public journal when requested to do so or to provide information
relating to official acts performed by the notary public; charging more than the fee prescribed
by law; failure to complete the acknowledgment at the time the notary public’s seal and signature
are attached to the document; executing a false certificate; failure to submit to the Secretary of
State any court ordered money judgment, including restitution; failure to secure the sequential
journal or the official seal; illegal advertising.  (Government  Code sections 8205, 8214.1,
8219.5 and 8223)
  In addition, the Secretary of State may deny the notary publi c application or suspend the
notary public commission of a person who has not complied with child or family support
obligations. (Family Code section 17520)
DISCIPLINARY GUIDELINES
The Secretary of State has instituted disciplinary guidelines in order to facilitate due process
and to maintain consistency in reviewing applications, investig ating alleged violations, and
implementing administrative actions. (Government Code section 8220)
The disciplinary guidelines are designed to assist administrati ve law judges, in addition to
assisting attorneys, notaries public, applicants, and others involved in the disciplinary process.
The disciplinary guidelines are used to determine what discipli nary action will be taken for
violations of notary public law. The disciplinary guidelines are available on the Secretary of
State’s website or can be mailed to you upon request.  Please refer to the inside front cover of
this handbook for our website and mailing addresses.

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17GENERAL INFORMATION
FEES
Government Code section 8211 specifies the maximum fees that may be charged for notary
public services; however, a notary public may elect to charge no fee or an amount that is less
than the maximum amount prescribed by law.  The charging of a fee and the amount of the fee
charged is at the discretion of the notary public or the notary  public’s employer provided it
does not exceed the maximum fees. The notary public is required  to make an entry in the
notary public journal even if no fee was charged, such as “no fee” or “0.”  (Government Code
section 8206)
EXCEPTIONS: 1) Pursuant to Government Code section 8203.6, no fees shall be collected
by notaries appointed to military and naval reservations in accordance with 8203.1; 2) pursuant
to Elections Code section 8080, no fee shall be collected by notaries for verifying any nomination
document or circulator’s affidavit; and 3) pursuant to Government Code section 6107, no fee
may be charged to a United States military veteran for notarization of an application or a claim
for a pension, allotment, allowance, compensation, insurance, or any other veteran’s benefit.
In addition, Government Code section 6100 requires any notary public who is appointed to act
for and on behalf of certain public agencies, pursuant to Government Code section 8202.5, to
charge for all services and remit the fees received to the employing agency.  The fee charged
must still be entered in the journal.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS
A notary public is required to notify the Secretary of State in  writing, by certified mail,
within 30 days of any change of business, mailing and/ or residence address.  (Government
Code section 8213.5)  Upon the change of a business address to a new county, a notary public
may elect to file a new oath of office and bond in the new county.  However, this is optional.
Once commissioned, a notary public may perform notary public se rvices anywhere in the
state.  The original oath and bond must be filed in the county where the notary public maintains
their principal place of business as shown in the application filed with the Secretary of State.
It is permissive as to whether or not a county transfer is file d with the new county after the
original oath and bond have been filed in the original county should the notary public move.
(Government Code section 8213)  There is no fee for the process ing of address change
notifications with the Secretary of State.
NOTE: To ensure proper processing, please include the following when submitting an address
change notification:
• name of the notary public exactly as it appears on the commiss ion certificate;
• commission number and expiration date of the commission;
• whether the address change is for the business, residence, and /or for mailing purposes;
and
• new business, including business name; residence; and/or maili ng address.
Please be sure the request is signed and dated by the notary public.  The change of address
can be submitted in letter form or, for your convenience, an address change form is available
on the Secretary of State’s website or can be mailed to you upon request.  Please refer to the
inside front cover of this handbook for our website and mailing addresses.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
A notary public can notarize a signature on a document in a foreign language with which
they are not familiar, as a notary public is not responsible fo r the contents of the document.
The notary public should be able to identify the type of document being notarized for entry in
the notary public’s journal.  If unable to identify the type of document, the notary public must
make an entry to that effect in their journal, e.g. “a document  in a foreign language.”  The

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18 GENERAL INFORMATION
notary public should be mindful of the completeness of the docu ment and must not notarize
the signature on the document if the document appears to be incomplete. The notary public is
responsible for completing the acknowledgment or jurat form.  W hen notarizing a signature
on a document, a notary public must be able to communicate with their customer in order for
the signer to either swear to or affirm the contents of the aff idavit or to acknowledge the
execution of the document.  An interpreter should not be used, as vital information could be
lost in the translation.  If a notary public is unable to communicate with a customer, the customer
should be referred to a notary public who speaks the customer’s language.
COMMON QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q. If a person was convicted of a DUI, petty theft, trespass, et c., will that person be
disqualified from becoming a notary public?
A. The Secretary of State cannot make a determination as to whet her or not a person meets
the qualifications to become a notary public until a thorough b ackground check has
been completed.  If you are concerned as to whether you may be disqualified from
becoming a notary public based upon past conviction information , please refer to the
Notary Public Disciplinary Guidelines (2001) , which also includes a list of the most
common disqualifying convictions.  The disciplinary guidelines are available on the
Secretary of State’s website or can be mailed to you upon reque st.  Please refer to the
inside front cover of this handbook for our website and mailing  addresses.
Q. I had a conviction over 25 years ago.  Do I still need to dis close this conviction on my
application?
A. There is no time limit for disclosure of convictions.  If you  have ever been convicted,
including being convicted for a DUI, you must disclose this on your application.
Q. How soon can I take the test for reappointment if I currently  hold a notary public
commission?
A. It is recommended that you take the exam at least six months prior to the expiration date
of your current commission if you do not want to have a break i n commission terms.
Keep in mind that the test results are only valid for one year from the date of the
examination.   (California Code of Regulations section 20803)
Q. I have been a notary public for over 20 years.  Will I still be required to take the initial
six-hour approved course of study?
A. Yes, initially everyone, including those notaries who have he ld previous commission
terms, will be required to satisfactorily complete a six-hour c ourse of study from an
approved vendor prior to reappointment as a notary public.  A l ist of approved vendors
is available on the Secretary of State’s website or can be mail ed to you upon request.
(Government Code section 8201(a)(3))
Q. Will I be required to take an approved course of study each t ime I apply for
reappointment?
A. Yes, an applicant for notary public who holds a California no tary public commission
and who has completed the initial six-hour course of study from  an approved vendor
will be required to satisfactorily complete a three-hour refres her course of study prior
to reappointment as a notary public for all subsequent terms.  (Government Code section
8201(b)(2))
Q. I have taken courses in the past prior to taking the exam.  W ill I still be required to take
the six-hour course?
A. Yes, because in the past, you were not required to take these  courses prior to being
appointed as a notary public and those courses were not “approved” by the Secretary of
State.  However, now that mandatory education is one of the qua lifications you must
meet in order to become a notary public, you are required to co mplete the approved
course of study in order to qualify.  (Government Code section 8201(a)(3))

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19GENERAL INFORMATION
Q. I have passed every notary public exam I have taken in the pa st. I even scored 100% on
my last exam. Is there any way to skip the six-hour course and take the three-hour
course instead?
A. No, the law specifically states that for appointments made on or after July 1, 2005, you
must complete a six-hour course of study approved by the Secret ary of State to qualify
to become a notary public. (Government Code section 8201(a)(3) )
Q. I have completed my approved six-hour course of study and rec eived my Proof of
Completion. What do I do with it?
A. Once you have completed your six-hour course of study from an approved vendor,
staple your Proof of Completion to the application and take bot h with you to the exam.
Q. I have changed my business, mailing or home address, what do I do?
A. Send the Secretary of State a letter or a change of address f orm by certified mail within
30 days of the change. (Government Code section 8213.5)
Q. I have changed my business from one county to another, what d o I do?
A. Your commission allows you to notarize throughout the State of California, regardless
of where your oath and bond are on file. If the location of yo ur business has changed,
you are required to send the Secretary of State an address chan ge via certified mail
within 30 days of the change. If the address change is for your business, please include
the business name in your notification. If the address change includes a change of
county, you may choose to transfer your county, however a county transfer is not required.
To file a county change, you must request an oath of office for m from the Secretary of
State. The oath will have the name of your original county, however, you will take and
file your oath of office in the new county, checking the county transfer box at the bottom
of the oath form. You must also take a new bond or a duplicate of the original bond and
file it together with your oath of office in the new county. A certificate of authorization
to manufacture a notary public seal will be sent to you once th e Secretary of State has
received and processed your oath of office filed in the new cou nty. Your stamp must
reflect the county where your most recent oath and bond are fil ed. (Government Code
sections 8213 and 8213.5)
Q. Am I required to see the person sign the document at the time I perform the notarization?
A. If you are preparing a certificate of acknowledgment, then “n o.” The document can be
executed before the person brings it to you for notarization. In an acknowledgment, the
signer must personally appear before you and acknowledge that he/she executed the
document, not that they executed the document in your presence. However, when
preparing a jurat, then “yes.” The person requesting the jurat must appear before you,
take an oath, and sign the document in your presence. In addit ion, for both an
acknowledgment and a jurat, the notary public must certify to the identity of the signer.
(Civil Code section 1189 and Government Code section 8202)
Q. I lost my stamp or journal, what do I do?
A. Send a letter immediately by certified mail to the Secretary of State explaining what
happened and, if applicable, a photocopy of a police report. U pon written request, the
Secretary of State will send an authorization so you can have a new stamp made.
(Government Code sections 8206 and 8207.3(e))
Q. I have changed my name. What do I do?
A. Send a completed name change form to the Secretary of State a nd, once approved, you
will be issued an amended commission that reflects your new name. You will then need
to file a new oath of office and an amendment to your bond with the county clerk within
30 days from the date the amended commission was issued in order for the name change
to take effect. Within 30 days of the filing, you should obtai n a new seal that reflects
the new name. Once the amended oath and bond are filed, you ma y no longer use the

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20 GENERAL INFORMATION
commission, including the stamp, that was issued in your previo us name. If you fail to
file your amended oath and bond within the 30-day time limit, t he name change will
become void and your commission will revert back to the previou s name and you will
be required to submit another name change application. (Govern ment Code sections
8213 and 8213.6)
Q. I need to request a new certificate of authorization to have a new stamp made. Is there
a fee?
A. No; however, you must send the Secretary of State a written r equest for a certificate of
authorization. (Government Code section 8207.3(e))
Q. How do I resign my commission?
A. If you want to resign your commission, send a letter to our o ffice and deliver all of your
notarial journals, records and papers to the county clerk in which your current oath of
office is on file within 30 days and destroy the seal. (Govern ment Code section 8209)
Q. I did not file my oath and bond on time, what do I do?
A. If you failed to file your oath and bond within the prescribe d time, your commission is
void. (Government Code section 8213(a)) If you wish to reapply, y ou must complete
a new application, attach your Proof of Completion to the application and send it to our
office with a check for $20.00. If you do not have your Proof of Completion, contact
the vendor who provided the education to obtain a duplicate of your Proof of Completion.
Keep in mind that the test results are only valid for one year from the date of the
examination; and that the Proof of Completion of an approved co urse of study is valid
for two years from the date of issuance. (California Code of Regulations sections
20803 and 20800.5)
Q. Where can I get a live scan fingerprint form?
A. You will be sent a live scan fingerprint form with instructio ns once you have passed the
examination.
Q. I have completed the education and taken the exam, but my cur rent commission doesn’t
expire until another four months. When will I receive my new c ommission?
A. Although you have already completed the education and taken t he test, your commission
for reappointment will not be issued until 30 days prior to the expiration date of your
current commission.

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21GOVERNMENT CODE
GOVERNMENT CODE
Notaries Public
(Chapter 3, Division 1, Title 2)
§ 8200. Appointment and commission; number; jurisdiction
The Secretary of State may appoint and commission notaries public in such number as the
Secretary of State deems necessary for the public convenience. Notaries public may act as
such notaries in any part of this state.
§ 8201. Qualifications to be a notary public; proof of course completion; reappointment
(a) Every person appointed as notary public shall meet all of th e following requirements:
(1) Be at the time of appointment a legal resident of this state, except as otherwise provided
in Section 8203.1.
(2) Be not less than 18 years of age.
(3) For appointments made on or after July 1, 2005, have satisfactorily completed a six-hour
course of study approved by the Secretary of State pursuant to Section 8201.2 concerning the
functions and duties of a notary public.
(4) Have satisfactorily completed a written examination prescribed by the Secretary of State
to determine the fitness of the person to exercise the function s and duties of the office of
notary public. All questions shall be based on the law of this state as set forth in the booklet of
the laws of California relating to notaries public distributed by the Secretary of State.
(b) (1) Commencing July 1, 2005, each applicant for notary public shall provide satisfactory
proof that he or she has completed the course of study required  pursuant to paragraph (3) of
subdivision (a) prior to approval of his or her appointment as a notary public by the Secretary
of State.
(2) Commencing July 1, 2005, an applicant for notary public who holds a California notary
public commission, and who has satisfactorily completed the six-hour course of study required
pursuant to paragraph (1) at least one time, shall provide satisfactory proof when applying for
reappointment as a notary public that he or she has satisfactorily completed a three-hour refresher
course of study prior to reappointment as a notary public by the Secretary of State.
§ 8201.1. Additional qualifications; determination; identificati on; fingerprints
Prior to granting an appointment as a notary public, the Secret ary of State shall determine
that the applicant possesses the required honesty, credibility,  truthfulness, and integrity to
fulfill the responsibilities of the position. To assist in determining the identity of the applicant
and whether the applicant has been convicted of a disqualifying crime specified in subdivision
(b) of Section 8214.1, the Secretary of State shall require that applicants be fingerprinted.
§ 8201.2. Review of course of study and refresher courses for no tary public; approval
                   of education course of study, violation of regulations; civil penalties
(a) Commencing January 1, 2005, the Secretary of State shall rev iew the course of study
and any refresher course proposed by any vendor to be offered p ursuant to paragraph (3) of
subdivision (a) and paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section  8201.  If the course of study
includes all material that a person is expected to know to sati sfactorily complete the written
examination required pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 8201, the Secretary
of State shall approve the course of study.
(b) (1) The Secretary of State shall, by regulation, prescribe an  application form and adopt
a certificate of approval for the notary public education course of study proposed by a vendor.
(2) The Secretary of State may also provide a notary public educ ation course of study.
(c) The Secretary of State shall compile a list of all persons offering an approved course of
study pursuant to subdivision (a) and shall provide the list wi th every booklet of the laws of
California relating to notaries public distributed by the Secretary of State.

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22 GOVERNMENT CODE
(d) (1) A person who provides notary public education and violate s any of the regulations
adopted by the Secretary of State for approved vendors is subje ct to a civil penalty not to
exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each violation and shall be required to pay restitution
where appropriate.
(2) The local district attorney, city attorney, or the Attorney General may bring a civil action
to recover the civil penalty prescribed pursuant to this subdivision.
§ 8201.5. Application form; confidential nature; use of informat ion
The Secretary of State shall require an applicant for appointment and commission as a notary
public to complete an application form prescribed by the Secret ary of State. Information on
this form filed by an applicant with the Secretary of State, except for his name and address, is
confidential and no individual record shall be divulged by an o fficial or employee having
access to it to any person other than the applicant, his authorized representative, or an employee
or officer of the federal government, the state government, or a local agency, as defined in
subdivision (b) of Section 6252 of the Government Code, acting in his official capacity. Such
information shall be used by the Secretary of State for the sol e purpose of carrying out the
duties of this chapter.
§ 8202. Execution of jurat; administration of oath or affirmatio n to affiant; attachment
                to affidavit
(a) When executing a jurat, a notary shall administer an oath or  affirmation to the affiant
and shall determine, from personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence as described in Section
1185 of the Civil Code, that the affiant is the person executing the document.  The affiant shall
sign the document in the presence of the notary.
(b) To any affidavit subscribed and sworn to before a notary, there shall be attached a jurat
in the following form:
State of California
County of _______________
Subscribed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on this _______ day of _______, 20__, by
___________________, personally known to me or proved to me on the basis of satisfactory
evidence to be the person(s) who appeared before me.
Seal________________________________
Signature____________________________
§ 8202.5. State, county and school district employees; certifica tes; expenses
The Secretary of State may appoint and commission the number of  state, city, county, and
public school district employees as notaries public to act for and on behalf of the governmental
entity for which appointed which the Secretary of State deems p roper. Whenever a notary is
appointed and commissioned, a duly authorized representative of the employing governmental
entity shall execute a certificate that the appointment is made for the purposes of the employing
governmental entity, and whenever the certificate is filed with any state or county officer, no
fees shall be charged by the officer for the filing or issuance  of any document in connection
with the appointment.
The state or any city, county, or school district for which the notary public is appointed and
commissioned pursuant to this section may pay from any funds av ailable for its support the
premiums on any bond and the cost of any stamps, seals, or other supplies required in connection
with the appointment, commission, or performance of the duties of the notary public.
Any fees collected or obtained by any notary public whose documents have been filed without
charge and for whom bond premiums have been paid by the employe r of the notary public
shall be remitted by the notary public to the employing agency which shall deposit the funds to
the credit of the fund from which the salary of the notary public is paid.

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§ 8202.7. Private employers; agreement to pay premium on bonds and costs of supplies;
     remission of fees to employer
A private employer, pursuant to an agreement with an employee who is a notary public, may
pay the premiums on any bond and the cost of any stamps, seals, or other supplies required in
connection with the appointment, commission, or performance of the duties of such notary
public. Such agreement may also provide for the remission of fe es collected by such notary
public to the employer, in which case any fees collected or obt ained by such notary public
while such agreement is in effect shall be remitted by such not ary public to the employer
which shall deposit such funds to the credit of the fund from w hich the compensation of the
notary public is paid.
§ 8202.8. Private employers; limitation on provision of notarial  services
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a private employer of a notary public who has
entered into an agreement with his or her employee pursuant to Section 8202.7 may limit,
during the employee’s ordinary course of employment, the provid ing of notarial services by
the employee solely to transactions directly associated with th e business purposes of the
employer.
§ 8203.1. Military and naval reservations; appointment and commi ssion of notaries;
   qualifications
The Secretary of State may appoint and commission notaries publ ic for the military and
naval reservations of the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Marine Corps of the United
States, wherever located in the state; provided, however, that the appointee shall be a citizen of
the United States, not less than 18 years of age, and must meet  the requirements set forth in
paragraphs (3) and (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 8201.
§ 8203.2. Military and naval reservations, recommendation of com manding officer;
                   jurisdiction of notary
Such notaries public shall be appointed only upon the recommendation of the commanding
officer of the reservation in which they are to act, and they s hall be authorized to act only
within the boundaries of this reservation.
§ 8203.3. Military and naval reservations, qualifications of not aries
In addition to the qualifications established in Section 8203.1 , appointment will be made
only from among those persons who are federal civil service employees at the reservation in
which they will act as notaries public.
§ 8203.4. Military and naval reservations; term of office; termi nation; resignation
The term of office shall be as set forth in Section 8204, excep t that the appointment shall
terminate if the person shall cease to be employed as a federal  civil service employee at the
reservation for which appointed. The commanding officer of the reservation shall notify the
Secretary of State of termination of employment at the reservation for which appointed within
30 days of such termination. A notary public whose appointment terminates pursuant to this
section will have such termination treated as a resignation.
§ 8203.5. Military and naval reservations, jurat
In addition to the name of the State, the jurat shall also contain the name of the reservation in
which the instrument is executed.
§ 8203.6. Military and naval reservations, fees
No fees shall be collected by such notaries public for service rendered within the reservation
in the capacity of a notary public.
§ 8204. Term of office
The term of office of a notary public is for four years commencing with the date specified in
the commission.

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§ 8204.1. Cancellation of Commission; failure to pay; notice
The Secretary of State may cancel the commission of a notary pu blic if a check or other
remittance accepted as payment for the examination, application, commission, and fingerprint
fee is not paid upon presentation to the financial institution upon which the check or other
remittance was drawn.  Upon receiving written notification that the item presented for payment
has not been honored for payment, the Secretary of State shall first give a written notice of the
applicability of this section to the notary public or the perso n submitting the instrument.
Thereafter, if the amount is not paid by a cashier’s check or t he equivalent, the Secretary of
State shall give a second written notice of cancellation and the cancellation shall thereupon be
effective.  This second notice shall be given at least 20 days after the first notice, and no more
than 90 days after the commencement date of the commission.
§ 8205. Duties
(a) It is the duty of a notary public, when requested:
(1) To demand acceptance and payment of foreign and inland bills of exchange, or promissory
notes, to protest them for nonacceptance and nonpayment, and, w ith regard only to the
nonacceptance or nonpayment of bills and notes, to exercise any other powers and duties that
by the law of nations and according to commercial usages, or by  the laws of any other state,
government, or country, may be performed by notaries.
(2) To take the acknowledgment or proof of advance health care directives, powers of attorney,
mortgages, deeds, grants, transfers, and other instruments of writing executed by any person,
and to give a certificate of that proof or acknowledgment, endo rsed on or attached to the
instrument. The certificate shall be signed by the notary publi c in the notary public’s own
handwriting.  A notary public may not accept any acknowledgment or proof of any instrument
that is incomplete.
(3) To take depositions and affidavits, and administer oaths and affirmations, in all matters
incident to the duties of the office, or to be used before any court, judge, officer, or board. Any
deposition, affidavit, oath, or affirmation shall be signed by the notary public in the notary
public’s own handwriting.
(4) To certify copies of powers of attorney under Section 4307 of the Probate Code.  The
certification shall be signed by the notary public in the notary public’s own handwriting.
(b) It shall further be the duty of a notary public, upon written request:
(1) To furnish to the Secretary of State certified copies of the notary’s journal.
(2) To respond within 30 days of receiving written requests sent by certified mail from the
Secretary of State’s office for information relating to official acts performed by the notary.
§ 8206. Sequential journal; contents; thumbprint; loss of journa l; copies of pages;
                exclusive property of notary public; limitations on surrender
(a) (1) A notary public shall keep one active sequential journal at a time, of all official acts
performed as a notary public.  The journal shall be kept in a locked and secured area, under the
direct and exclusive control of the notary.  Failure to secure the journal shall be cause for the
Secretary of State to take administrative action against the co mmission held by the notary
public pursuant to Section 8214.1.
(2) The journal shall be in addition to and apart from any copie s of notarized documents
that may be in the possession of the notary public and shall include all of the following:
(A) Date, time, and type of each official act.
(B) Character of every instrument sworn to, affirmed, acknowled ged or proved before the
notary.
(C) The signature of each person whose signature is being notarized.
(D) A statement as to whether the identity of a person making an acknowledgment or taking
an oath or affirmation was based on personal knowledge or satis factory evidence. If identity

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25GOVERNMENT CODE
was established by satisfactory evidence pursuant to Section 1185 of the Civil Code, then the
journal shall contain the signature of the credible witness swearing or affirming to the identity
of the individual or the type of identifying document, the gove rnmental agency issuing the
document, the serial or identifying number of the document, and the date of issue or expiration
of the document.
(E) If the identity of the person making the acknowledgment or taking the oath or affirmation
was established by the oaths or affirmations of two credible wi tnesses whose identities are
proven upon the presentation of satisfactory evidence, the type of identifying documents, the
identifying numbers of the documents and the dates of issuance or expiration of the documents
presented by the witnesses to establish their identity.
(F) The fee charged for the notarial service.
(G) If the document to be notarized is a deed, quitclaim deed, or deed of trust affecting real
property, the notary public shall require the party signing the  document to place his or her
right thumbprint in the journal. If the right thumbprint is not  available, then the notary shall
have the party use his or her left thumb, or any available fing er and shall so indicate in the
journal. If the party signing the document is physically unable  to provide a thumbprint or
fingerprint, the notary shall so indicate in the journal and shall also provide an explanation of
that physical condition.  This paragraph shall not apply to a t rustee’s deed resulting from a
decree of foreclosure or a nonjudicial foreclosure pursuant to Section 2924 of the Civil Code,
nor to a deed of reconveyance.
(b) If a sequential journal of official acts performed by a notary public is stolen, lost, misplaced,
destroyed, damaged, or otherwise rendered unusable as a record of notarial acts and information,
the notary public shall immediately notify the Secretary of Sta te by certified or registered
mail.  The notification shall include the period of the journal  entries, the notary public
commission number, and the expiration date of the commission, a nd when applicable, a
photocopy of any police report that specifies the theft of the sequential journal of official acts.
(c) Upon written request of any member of the public, which request shall include the name
of the parties, the type of document, and the month and year in  which notarized, the notary
shall supply a photostatic copy of the line item representing the requested transaction at a cost
of not more than thirty cents ($0.30) per page.
(d) The journal of notarial acts of a notary public is the excl usive property of that notary
public, and shall not be surrendered to an employer upon termination of employment, whether
or not the employer paid for the journal, or at any other time.   The notary public shall not
surrender the journal to any other person, except the county clerk, pursuant to Section 8209, or
to a peace officer, as defined in Sections 830.1, 830.2, and 830.3 of the Penal Code, acting in
his or her official capacity and within his or her authority, i n response to a criminal search
warrant signed by a magistrate and served upon the notary publi c by the peace officer.  The
notary public shall obtain a receipt for the journal, and shall  notify the Secretary of State by
certified mail within 10 days that the journal was relinquished to a peace officer.  The notification
shall include the period of the journal entries, the commission number of the notary public, the
expiration date of the commission, and a photocopy of the recei pt.  The notary public shall
obtain a new sequential journal.  If the journal relinquished to a peace officer is returned to the
notary public and a new journal has been obtained, the notary public shall make no new entries
in the returned journal.  A notary public who is an employee sh all permit inspection and
copying of journal transactions by a duly designated auditor or  agent of the notary public’s
employer, provided that the inspection and copying is done in the presence of the notary public
and the transactions are directly associated with the business purposes of the employer.  The
notary public, upon the request of the employer, shall regularly provide copies of all transactions
that are directly associated with the business purposes of the employer, but shall not be required

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to provide copies of any transaction that is unrelated to the employer’s business.  Confidentiality
and safekeeping of any copies of the journal provided to the employer shall be the responsibility
of that employer.
(e) The notary public shall provide the journal for examination and copying in the presence
of the notary public upon receipt of a subpoena duces tecum or a court order, and shall certify
those copies if requested.
§ 8207. Seal
A notary public shall provide and keep an official seal, which shall clearly show, when
embossed, stamped, impressed or affixed to a document, the name  of the notary, the State
Seal, the words “Notary Public,” and the name of the county whe rein the bond and oath of
office are filed, and the date the notary public’s commission expires. The seal of every notary
public commissioned on or after January 1, 1992, shall contain the sequential identification
number assigned to the notary and the sequential identification  number assigned to the
manufacturer or vendor. The notary public shall authenticate with the official seal all official
acts.
A notary public shall not use the official notarial seal except for the purpose of carrying out
the duties and responsibilities as set forth in this chapter. A notary public shall not use the title
“notary public” except for the purpose of rendering notarial service.
The seal of every notary public shall be affixed by a seal pres s or stamp that will print or
emboss a seal which legibly reproduces under photographic methods the required elements of
the seal. The seal may be circular not over two inches in diame ter, or may be a rectangular
form of not more than one inch in width by two and one-half inches in length, with a serrated
or milled edged border, and shall contain the information required by this section.
The seal shall be kept in a locked and secured area, under the direct and exclusive control of
the notary.  Failure to secure the seal shall be cause for the Secretary of State to take
administrative action against the commission held by the notary  public pursuant to Section
8214.1.
The official seal of a notary public is the exclusive property of that notary public, and shall
not be surrendered to an employer upon the termination of emplo yment, whether or not the
employer paid for the seal, or to any other person.  The notary , or his or her representative,
shall destroy or deface the seal upon termination, resignation,  or revocation of the notary’s
commission.
This section shall become operative on January 1, 1992.
§ 8207.1. Identification number
The Secretary of State shall assign a sequential identification number to each notary which
shall appear on the notary commission.
This section shall become operative on January 1, 1992.
§ 8207.2. Manufacture, duplication, and sale of seal or stamp; procedures and guidelines
               for issuance of seals; certificate of authorizat ion
(a) No notary seal or press stamp shall be manufactured, duplicated, sold, or offered for sale
unless authorized by the Secretary of State.
(b) The Secretary of State shall develop and implement procedur es and guidelines for the
issuance of notary seals on or before January 1, 1992.
(c) The Secretary of State shall issue a permit with a sequenti al identification number to
each manufacturer or vendor authorized to issue notary seals. T he Secretary of State may
establish a fee for the issuance of the permit which shall not exceed the actual costs of issuing
the permit.
(d) The Secretary of State shall develop a certificate of autho rization to purchase a notary
stamp from an authorized vendor.

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(e) The certificate of authorization shall be designed to prevent forgeries and shall contain a
sequential identification number.
(f) This section shall become operative on January 1, 1992.
§ 8207.3. Certificates of authorization; authorization to provid e seal; lost, misplaced,
                   damaged or otherwise unworkable seal
(a) The Secretary of State shall issue certificates of authorization with which a notary public
can obtain an official notary seal.
(b) A vendor or manufacturer is authorized to provide a notary with an official seal only
upon presentation by the notary public of a certificate of authorization.
(c) A vendor of official seals shall note the receipt of certificates of authorization and sequential
identification numbers of certificates presented by a notary pu blic upon a certificate of
authorization.
(d) A copy of a certificate of authorization shall be retained by a vendor and the original,
which shall contain a sample impression of the seal issued to the notary public, shall be submitted
to the Secretary of State for verification and recordkeeping. The Secretary of State shall develop
guidelines for submitting certificates of authorization by vendors.
(e) Any notary whose official seal is lost, misplaced, destroye d, broken, damaged, or is
rendered otherwise unworkable shall immediately mail or deliver written notice of that fact to
the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State, within five wor king days after receipt of the
notice, if requested by a notary, shall issue a certificate of authorization which a notary may
use to obtain a replacement seal.
(f) This section shall become operative on January 1, 1992.
§ 8207.4. Violations; penalties
(a) Any person who willfully violates any part of Section 8207.1, 8207.2, 8207.3, or 8207.4
shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) for
each violation, which may be recovered in a civil action brough t by the Attorney General or
the district attorney or city attorney, or by a city prosecutor in any city and county.
(b) The penalty provided by this section is not an exclusive remedy, and does not affect any
other relief or remedy provided by law.
(c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 1992.
§ 8208. Protest of bill or note for nonacceptance or nonpayment
The protest of a notary public, under his or her hand and official seal, of a bill of exchange or
promissory note for nonacceptance or nonpayment, specifying any of the following is prima
facie evidence of the facts recited therein:
(a) The time and place of presentment.
(b) The fact that presentment was made and the manner thereof.
(c) The cause or reason for protesting the bill.
(d) The demand made and the answer given, if any, or the fact t hat the drawee or acceptor
could not be found.
§ 8209. Resignation, disqualification or removal of notary; reco rds delivered to clerk;
misdemeanor; death; destruction of records
(a) If any notary public resigns, is disqualified, removed from  office, or allows his or her
appointment to expire without obtaining reappointment within 30  days, all notarial records
and papers shall be delivered within 30 days to the clerk of th e county in which the notary
public’s current official oath of office is on file. If the notary public willfully fails or refuses to
deliver all notarial records and papers to the county clerk within 30 days, the person is guilty
of a misdemeanor and shall be personally liable for damages to any person injured by that
action or inaction.
(b) In the case of the death of a notary public, the personal r epresentative of the deceased
shall promptly notify the Secretary of State of the death of the notary public and shall deliver

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all notarial records and papers of the deceased to the clerk of  the county in which the notary
public’s official oath of office is on file.
(c) After 10 years from the date of deposit with the county clerk, if no request for, or reference
to such records has been made, they may be destroyed upon order of court.
§ 8211. Fees
Fees charged by a notary public for the following services shall not exceed the fees prescribed
by this section.
(a) For taking an acknowledgment or proof of a deed, or other instrument, to include the seal
and the writing of the certificate, the sum of ten dollars ($10) for each signature taken.
(b) For administering an oath or affirmation to one person and executing the jurat, including
the seal, the sum of ten dollars ($10).
(c) For all services rendered in connection with the taking of any deposition, the sum of
twenty dollars ($20), and in addition thereto, the sum of five dollars ($5) for administering the
oath to the witness and the sum of five dollars ($5) for the certificate to the deposition.
(d) For every protest for the nonpayment of a promissory note o r for the nonpayment or
nonacceptance of a bill of exchange, draft, or check, the sum of ten dollars ($10).
(e) For serving every notice of nonpayment of a promissory note  or of nonpayment or
nonacceptance of a bill of exchange, order, draft, or check, the sum of five dollars ($5).
(f) For recording every protest, the sum of five dollars ($5).
(g) No fee may be charged to notarize signatures on absentee ballot identification envelopes
or other voting materials.
(h) For certifying a copy of a power of attorney under Section 4307 of the Probate Code the
sum of ten dollars ($10).
(i) In accordance with Section 6107, no fee may be charged to a United States military
veteran for notarization of an application or a claim for a pen sion, allotment, allowance,
compensation, insurance, or any other veteran’s benefit.
§ 8212. Bond; amount; form
Every person appointed a notary public shall execute an official bond in the sum of fifteen
thousand dollars ($15,000). The bond shall be in the form of a bond executed by an admitted
surety insurer and not a deposit in lieu of bond.
§ 8213. Bonds and oaths; filing; certificate; copy of oath as ev idence; transfer to new
county; name changes; fees
(a) No later than 30 days after the beginning of the term prescribed in the commission, every
person appointed a notary public shall file an official bond, and an oath of office in the office
of the county clerk of the county within which the person maintains a principal place of business
as shown in the application submitted to the Secretary of State, and the commission shall not
take effect unless this is done within the 30-day period. A per son appointed to be a notary
public shall take and subscribe the oath of office either in th e office of that county clerk or
before another notary public in that county.  If the oath of office is taken and subscribed before
a notary public, the oath and bond may be filed with the county clerk by certified mail.  Upon
the filing of the oath and bond, the county clerk shall immediately transmit to the Secretary of
State a certificate setting forth the fact of the filing and containing a copy of the official oath,
personally signed by the notary public in the form set forth in  the commission and shall
immediately deliver the bond to the county recorder for recordi ng. The county clerk shall
retain the oath of office for one year following the expiration of the term of the commission for
which the oath was taken, after which the oath may be destroyed or otherwise disposed of. The
copy of the oath, personally signed by the notary public, on fi le with the Secretary of State
may at any time be read in evidence with like effect as the original oath, without further proof.
(b) If a notary public transfers the principal place of business from one county to another, the
notary public may file a new oath of office and bond, or a duplicate of the original bond with

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the county clerk to which the principal place of business was transferred. If the notary public
elects to make a new filing, the notary public shall, within 30  days of the filing, obtain an
official seal which shall include the name of the county to which the notary public has transferred.
In a case where the notary public elects to make a new filing, the same filing and recording
fees are applicable as in the case of the original filing and recording of the bond.
(c) If a notary public submits an application for a name change to the Secretary of State, the
notary public shall, within 30 days from the date an amended commission is issued, file a new
oath of office and an amendment to the bond with the county clerk in which the principal place
of business is located.  The amended commission with the name change shall not take effect
unless the filing is completed within the 30-day period.  The a mended commission with the
name change takes effect the date the oath and amendment to the bond is filed with the county
clerk.  If the principal place of business address was changed in the application for name
change, either a new or duplicate of the original bond shall be filed with the county clerk with
the amendment to the bond.  The notary public shall, within 30 days of the filing, obtain an
official seal that includes the name of the notary public and the name of the county to which
the notary public has transferred, if applicable.
(d) The recording fee specified in Section 27361 of the Government Code shall be paid by
the person appointed a notary public. The fee may be paid to th e county clerk who shall
transmit it to the county recorder.
(e) The county recorder shall record the bond and shall thereaf ter mail, unless specified to
the contrary, it to the person named in the instrument and, if no person is named, to the party
leaving it for recording.
§ 8213.5. Change in location or address of business or residence ; notice
A notary public shall notify the Secretary of State by certified mail within 30 days as to any
change in the location or address of the principal place of business or residence.
§ 8213.6. Name changes; application; filing
If a notary public changes his or her name, the notary public s hall complete an application
for name change form and file that application with the Secretary of State.  Information on this
form shall be subject to the confidentiality provisions describ ed in Section 8201.5.  Upon
approval of the name change form, the Secretary of State shall issue a commission that reflects
the new name of the notary public.  The term of the commission and commission number shall
remain the same.
§ 8214. Misconduct or neglect
For the official misconduct or neglect of a notary public, the notary public and the sureties
on the notary public’s official bond are liable in a civil action to the persons injured thereby for
all the damages sustained.
§ 8214.1. Grounds for refusal, revocation or suspension of commi ssion
The Secretary of State may refuse to appoint any person as notary public or may revoke or
suspend the commission of any notary public upon any of the following grounds:
(a) Substantial and material misstatement or omission in the ap plication submitted to the
Secretary of State.
(b) Conviction of a felony, a lesser offense involving moral turpitude, or a lesser offense of
a nature incompatible with the duties of a notary public. A con viction after a plea of nolo
contendere is deemed to be a conviction within the meaning of this subdivision.
(c) Revocation, suspension, restriction, or denial of a professional license, if the revocation,
suspension, restriction, or denial was for misconduct, for dish onesty, or for any cause
substantially relating to the duties or responsibilities of a notary public.
(d) Failure to discharge fully and faithfully any of the duties or responsibilities required of a
notary public.

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(e) When adjudged liable for damages in any suit grounded in fraud, misrepresentation, or
violation of the state regulatory laws or in any suit based upon a failure to discharge fully and
faithfully the duties as a notary public.
(f) The use of false or misleading advertising wherein the notary public has represented that
the notary public has duties, rights, or privileges that he or she does not possess by law.
(g) The practice of law in violation of Section 6125 of the Business and Professions Code.
(h) Charging more than the fees prescribed by this chapter.
(i) Commission of any act involving dishonesty, fraud, or deceit with the intent to substantially
benefit the notary public or another, or substantially injure another.
(j) Failure to complete the acknowledgment at the time the nota ry’s signature and seal are
affixed to the document.
(k) Failure to administer the oath or affirmation as required by paragraph (3) of subdivision
(a) of Section 8205.
(l) Execution of any certificate as a notary public containing a statement known to the notary
public to be false.
(m) Violation of Section 8223.
(n) Failure to submit any remittance payable upon demand by the Secretary of State under
this chapter or failure to satisfy any court-ordered money judgment, including restitution.
(o) Failure to secure the sequential journal of official acts, pursuant to Section 8206, or the
official seal, pursuant to Section 8207.
(p) Violation of Section 8219.5.
§ 8214.15. Civil penalties
(a) In addition to any commissioning or disciplinary sanction, a violation of subdivision (f),
(i), (l), (m), or (p) of Section 8214.1, or a willful violation of subdivision (d) of Section 8214.1,
is punishable by a civil penalty not to exceed one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500).
(b) In addition to any commissioning or disciplinary sanction, a violation of subdivision (h),
(j), or (k) of Section 8214.1, or a negligent violation of subd ivision (d) of Section 8214.1, is
punishable by a civil penalty not to exceed seven hundred fifty dollars ($750).
(c) The civil penalty may be imposed by the Secretary of State if a hearing is not requested
pursuant to Section 8214.3. If a hearing is requested, the hear ing officer shall make the
determination.
(d) Any civil penalties collected pursuant to this section shall be transferred to the General
Fund. It is the intent of the Legislature that to the extent Ge neral Fund moneys are raised by
penalties collected pursuant to this section, that money should be made available to the Secretary
of State’s office to defray its costs of investigating and pursuing commissioning and monetary
remedies for violations of the notary public law.
§ 8214.2. Fraud relating to deed of trust; single-family residen ce; felony
A notary public who knowingly and willfully with intent to defr aud performs any notarial
act in relation to a deed of trust on real property consisting of a single-family residence containing
not more than four dwelling units, with knowledge that the deed  of trust contains any false
statements or is forged in whole or in part, is guilty of a felony.
§ 8214.3. Hearing prior to denial or revocation of commission or  imposition of civil
                   penalties; law governing; exceptions
Prior to a revocation or suspension pursuant to this chapter or after a denial of a commission,
or prior to the imposition of a civil penalty, the person affected shall have a right to a hearing
on the matter and the proceeding shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing
with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3, except that a pers on shall not have a right to a
hearing after a denial of an application for a notary public commission in either of the following
cases:

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(a) The Secretary of State has, within one year previous to the  application, and after
proceedings conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of
Part 1 of Division 3, denied or revoked the applicant’s application or commission.
(b) The Secretary of State has entered an order pursuant to Sec tion 8214.4 finding that the
applicant has committed or omitted acts constituting grounds for suspension or revocation of
a notary public’s commission.
§ 8214.4. Resignation or expiration of commission not a bar to i nvestigation or
                   disciplinary proceedings
Notwithstanding this chapter or Chapter 5 (commencing with Sect ion 11500) of Part 1 of
Division 3, if the Secretary of State determines, after proceed ings conducted in accordance
with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Div ision 3, that any notary
public has committed or omitted acts constituting grounds for s uspension or revocation of a
notary public’s commission, the resignation or expiration of th e notary public’s commission
shall not bar the Secretary of State from instituting or continuing an investigation or instituting
disciplinary proceedings. Upon completion of the disciplinary p roceedings, the Secretary of
State shall enter an order finding the facts and stating the co nclusion that the facts would or
would not have constituted grounds for suspension or revocation  of the commission if the
commission had still been in effect.
§ 8214.5. Revocation of commission; filing copy with county cler k
Whenever the Secretary of State revokes the commission of any notary public, the Secretary
of State shall file with the county clerk of the county in whic h the notary public’s principal
place of business is located a copy of the revocation. The county clerk shall note such revocation
and its date upon the original record of such certificate.
§ 8214.8. Revocation upon certain convictions
Upon conviction of any offense in this chapter, or of Section 6 203, or of any felony, of a
person commissioned as a notary public, in addition to any other penalty, the court shall revoke
the commission of the notary public, and shall require the nota ry public to surrender to the
court the seal of the notary public.  The court shall forward the seal, together with a certified
copy of the judgment of conviction, to the Secretary of State.
§ 8216. Release of surety
When a surety of a notary desires to be released from responsib ility on account of future
acts, the release shall be pursuant to Article 11 (commencing with Section 996.110), and not
by cancellation or withdrawal pursuant to Article 13 (commencing with Section 996.310), of
Chapter 2 of Title 14 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure. For this purpose the surety shall
make application to the superior court of the county in which t he notary public’s principal
place of business is located and the copy of the application an d notice of hearing shall be
served on the Secretary of State as the beneficiary.
§ 8219.5. Advertising in language other than English; posting of  notice relating to legal
                   advice and fees; translation of notary public into Spanish; suspension
(a) Every notary public who is not an attorney who advertises the services of a notary public
in a language other than English by signs or other means of written communication, with the
exception of a single desk plaque, shall post with that advertisement a notice in English and in
the other language which sets forth the following:
(1) This statement: I am not an attorney and, therefore, cannot  give legal advice about
immigration or any other legal matters.
(2) The fees set by statute which a notary public may charge.
(b) The notice required by subdivision (a) shall be printed and  posted as prescribed by the
Secretary of State.
(c) Literal translation of the phrase “notary public” into Spanish, hereby defined as “notario
publico” or “notario,” is prohibited. For purposes of this subdivision, “literal translation” of a

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word or phrase from one language to another means the translation of a word or phrase without
regard to the true meaning of the word or phrase in the language which is being translated.
(d) The Secretary of State shall suspend for a period of not less than one year or revoke the
commission of any notary public who fails to comply with subdivision (a) or (c).  However, on
the second offense the commission of such notary public shall be revoked permanently.
§ 8220. Rules and regulations
The Secretary of State may adopt rules and regulations to carry  out the provisions of this
chapter.
The regulations shall be adopted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter
3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3).
§ 8221. Destruction, defacement or concealment of records or pap ers; misdemeanor;
liability for damages
If any person shall knowingly destroy, deface, or conceal any records or papers belonging to
the office of a notary public, such person shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and be liable in a
civil action for damages to any person injured as a result of s uch destruction, defacing, or
concealment.
§ 8222. Injunction; reimbursement for expenses
(a) Whenever it appears to the Secretary of State that any person has engaged or is about to
engage in any acts or practices which constitute or will constitute a violation of any provision
of this chapter or any rule or regulation prescribed under the authority thereof, the Secretary of
State may apply for an injunction, and upon a proper showing, a ny court of competent
jurisdiction has power to issue a permanent or temporary injunc tion or restraining order to
enforce the provisions of this chapter, and any party to the action has the right to prosecute an
appeal from the order or judgment of the court.
(b) The court may order a person subject to an injunction or restraining order provided for in
this section to reimburse the Secretary of State for expenses incurred in the investigation related
to the petition. The Secretary of State shall refund any amount  received as reimbursement
should the injunction or restraining order be dissolved by an appellate court.
§ 8223. Notary public with expertise in immigration matters; advertising status as notary
public; entry of information on forms; fee limitations
(a) No notary public who holds himself or herself out as being a n immigration specialist,
immigration consultant or any other title or description reflecting an expertise in immigration
matters shall advertise in any manner whatsoever that he or she is a notary public.
(b) A notary public qualified and bonded as an immigration consultant under Chapter 19.5
(commencing with Section 22440) of Division 8 of the Business a nd Professions Code may
enter data, provided by the client, on immigration forms provided by a federal or state agency.
The fee for this service shall not exceed ten dollars ($10) per individual for each set of forms.
If notary services are performed in relation to the set of immi gration forms, additional fees
may be collected pursuant to Section 8211. This fee limitation shall not apply to an attorney,
who is also a notary public, who is rendering professional serv ices regarding immigration
matters.
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to exempt a notary public who enters data on
an immigration form at the direction of a client, or otherwise performs the services of an
immigration consultant, as defined by Section 22441 of the Busi ness and Professions Code,
from the requirements of Chapter 19.5 (commencing with Section 22440) of Division 8 of the
Business and Professions Code.  A notary public who is not qual ified and bonded as an
immigration consultant under Chapter 19.5 (commencing with Section 22440) of Division 8
of the Business and Professions Code may not enter data provided by a client on immigration
forms nor otherwise perform the services of an immigration consultant.

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§ 8224. Conflict of interest; financial or beneficial interest i n transaction; exceptions
A notary public who has a direct financial or beneficial intere st in a transaction shall not
perform any notarial act in connection with such transaction.
For purposes of this section, a notary public has a direct financial or beneficial interest in a
transaction if the notary public:
(a) With respect to a financial transaction, is named, individu ally, as a principal to the
transaction.
(b) With respect to real property, is named, individually, as a  grantor, grantee, mortgagor,
mortgagee, trustor, trustee, beneficiary, vendor, vendee, lessor, or lessee, to the transaction.
For purposes of this section, a notary public has no direct financial or beneficial interest in a
transaction where the notary public acts in the capacity of an agent, employee, insurer, attorney,
escrow, or lender for a person having a direct financial or beneficial interest in the transaction.
§ 8224.1. Writings, depositions or affidavits of notary public; prohibitions against proof
                   or taking by that notary public
A notary public shall not take the acknowledgment or proof of instruments of writing executed
by the notary public nor shall depositions or affidavits of the  notary public be taken by the
notary public.
§ 8225. Improper notarial acts, solicitation, coercion or influe nce of performance;
                misdemeanor
(a) Any person who solicits, coerces, or in any manner influences a notary public to perform
an improper notarial act knowing that act to be an improper not arial act, including any act
required of a notary public under Section 8206, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
(b) The penalty provided by this section is not an exclusive remedy, and does not affect any
other relief or remedy provided by law.
§ 8227.1. Unlawful acts by one not a notary public; misdemeanor
It shall be a misdemeanor for any person who is not a duly comm issioned, qualified, and
acting notary public for the State of California to do any of the following:
(a) Represent or hold himself or herself out to the public or to any person as being entitled to
act as a notary public.
(b) Assume, use or advertise the title of notary public in such  a manner as to convey the
impression that the person is a notary public.
(c) Purport to act as a notary public.
§ 8227.3. Unlawful acts by one not a notary public; deeds of tru st on single-family
                   residences; felony
Any person who is not a duly commissioned, qualified, and acting notary public who does
any of the acts prohibited by Section 8227.1 in relation to any document or instrument affecting
title to, placing an encumbrance on, or placing an interest sec ured by a mortgage or deed of
trust on, real property consisting of a single-family residence  containing not more than four
dwelling units, is guilty of a felony.
§ 8228. Enforcement of chapter; examination of notarial books, r ecords, etc.
The Secretary of State may enforce the provisions of this chapter through the examination of
a notary public’s books, records, letters, contracts, and other pertinent documents relating to
the official acts of the notary public.
§ 8228.1 Willful failure to perform duty or control notarial sea l
(a) Any notary public who willfully fails to perform any duty re quired of a notary public
under Section 8206, or who willfully fails to keep the seal of the notary public under the direct
and exclusive control of the notary public, or who surrenders the seal of the notary public to
any person not otherwise authorized by law to possess the seal of the notary, shall be guilty of
a misdemeanor.

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34 GOVERNMENT CODE
(b) The penalty provided by this section is not an exclusive remedy, and does not affect any
other relief or remedy provided by law.
§ 8230. Identification of affiant; verification
If a notary public executes a jurat and the statement sworn or subscribed to is contained in a
document purporting to identify the affiant, and includes the birthdate or age of the person and
a purported photograph or finger or thumbprint of the person so swearing or subscribing, the
notary public shall require, as a condition to executing the ju rat, that the person verify the
birthdate or age contained in the statement by showing either:
(a) A certified copy of the person’s birth certificate, or
(b) An identification card or driver’s license issued by the De partment of Motor Vehicles.
For the purposes of preparing for submission of forms required by the United States
Immigration and Naturalization Service, and only for such purposes, a notary public may also
accept for identification any documents or declarations accepta ble to the United States
Immigration and Naturalization Service.
*     *     *
§ 1360. Necessity of taking constitutional oath
Unless otherwise provided, before any officer enters on the duties of his office, he shall take
and subscribe the oath or affirmation set forth in Section 3 of Article XX of the Constitution of
California.
§ 1362. Administration by authorized officer
Unless otherwise provided, the oath may be taken before any officer authorized to administer
oaths.
§ 6100. Performance of services; officers; notaries public
Officers of the state, or of a county or judicial district, shall not perform any official services
unless upon the payment of the fees prescribed by law for the p erformance of the services,
except as provided in this chapter.
This section shall not be construed to prohibit any notary publ ic, except a notary public
whose fees are required by law to be remitted to the state or a ny other public agency, from
performing notarial services without charging a fee.
§ 6107. Veterans
(a) No public entity, including the state, a county, city, or ot her political subdivision, nor
any officer or employee thereof, including notaries public, shall demand or receive any fee or
compensation for doing any of the following:
(1) Recording, indexing, or issuing certified copies of any discharge, certificate of service,
certificate of satisfactory service, notice of separation, or report of separation of any member
of the Armed Forces of the United States.
(2) Furnishing a certified copy of, or searching for, any public record that is to be used in an
application or claim for a pension, allotment, allowance, compensation, insurance (including
automatic insurance), or any other benefits under any act of Congress for service in the Armed
Forces of the United States or under any law of this state relating to veterans’ benefits.
(3) Furnishing a certified copy of, or searching for, any public record that is required by the
Veterans Administration to be used in determining the eligibility of any person to participate
in benefits made available by the Veterans Administration.
(4) Rendering any other service in connection with an applicati on or claim referred to in
paragraph (2) or (3).
(b) A certified copy of any record referred to in subdivision (a) may be made available only
to one of the following:
(1) The person who is the subject of the record upon presentatio n of proper photo
identification.

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GOVERNMENT CODE 35
(2) A family member or legal representative of the person who is the subject of the record
upon presentation of proper photo identification and certificat ion of their relationship to the
subject of the record.
(3) A county office that provides veteran ’s benefits services upon written request of that
office.
(4) A United States official upon written request of that official. A public officer or employee
is liable on his or her official bond for failure or refusal to render the services.
§ 6108. Oaths of office; claim against counties
No officer of a county or judicial district shall charge or receive any fee or compensation for
administering or certifying the oath of office or for filing or swearing to any claim or demand
against any county in the State.
§ 6109. Receipt of fees; written account; officer liability
Every officer of a county or judicial district, upon receiving any fees for official duty or
service, may be required by the person paying the fees to make out in writing and to deliver to
the person a particular account of the fees. The account shall specify for what the fees,
respectively, accrued, and the officer shall receipt it. If the officer refuses or neglects to do so
when required, he is liable to the person paying the fees in treble the amount so paid.
§ 6110. Performance of services following payment; officer liabi lity
Upon payment of the fees required by law, the officer shall per form the services required.
For every failure or refusal to do so, the officer is liable upon his official bond.
§ 6203. False certificate or writing by officer
Every officer authorized by law to make or give any certificate or other writing is guilty of a
misdemeanor if he makes and delivers as true any certificate or writing containing statements
which he knows to be false.
§ 6800. Computation of time in which act is to be done
The time in which any act provided by law is to be done is computed by excluding the first
day, and including the last, unless the last day is a holiday, and then it is also excluded.
§ 27287. Acknowledgment of execution or proof by subscribing witness required before
recording; exceptions
* * * before an instrument can be recorded its execution shall be acknowledged by the
person executing it, or if executed by a corporation, by its pr esident or secretary or other
person executing it on behalf of the corporation, or, except fo r any quitclaim deed or grant
deed other than a trustee’s deed or a deed of reconveyance, mortgage, deed of trust, or security
agreement, proved by subscribing witness or as provided in Sect ions 1198 and 1199 of the
Civil Code, and the acknowledgment or proof certified as prescribed by law.
§ 66433. Content and form; application of article
The content and form of final maps shall be governed by the provisions of this article.
§ 66436. Statement of consent; necessity; exceptions; nonliabili ty for omission of
signature; notary acknowledgment
(a) A statement, signed and acknowledged by all parties having a ny record title interest in
the subdivided real property, consenting to the preparation and recordation of the final map is
required, * * *
(c) A notary acknowledgment shall be deemed complete for recordi ng without the official
seal of the notary, so long as the name of the notary, the county of the notary’s principal place
of business, and the notary ’s commission expiration date are typed or printed below or
immediately adjacent to the notary’s signature in the acknowledgment.

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36 CIVIL CODE
CIVIL CODE
§ 14. Words and phrases; construction; tense; gender; number
* * * signature or subscription includes mark, when the person cannot write, his name being
written near it, by a person who writes his own name as a witne ss; provided, that when a
signature is by mark it must in order that the same may be acknowledged or may serve as the
signature to any sworn statement be witnessed by two persons who must subscribe their own
names as witnesses thereto. * * *
§ 1181. Notaries public; officers before whom proof or acknowled gment may be made
The proof or acknowledgment of an instrument may be made before a notary public at any
place within this state, or within the county or city and county in this state in which the officer
specified below was elected or appointed, before either:
(a) A clerk of a superior court.
(b) A county clerk.
(c) A court commissioner.
(d) A retired judge of a municipal or justice court.
(e) A district attorney.
(f) A clerk of a board of supervisors.
(g) A city clerk.
(h) A county counsel.
(i) A city attorney.
(j) Secretary of the Senate.
(k) Chief Clerk of the Assembly.
§ 1185. Acknowledgments; requisites
(a) The acknowledgment of an instrument shall not be taken unle ss the officer taking it
personally knows, or has satisfactory evidence that the person making the acknowledgment is,
the individual who is described in and who executed the instrument.
(b) For purposes of this article, “personally knows” means having an acquaintance, derived
from association with the individual in relation to other peopl e and based upon a chain of
circumstances surrounding the individual, which establishes the individual’s identity with at
least reasonable certainty.
(c) For the purposes of this section “satisfactory evidence” me ans the absence of any
information, evidence, or other circumstances which would lead a reasonable person to believe
that the person making the acknowledgment is not the individual  he or she claims to be and
any one of the following:
(1) The oath or affirmation of a credible witness personally kn own to the officer that the
person making the acknowledgment is personally known to the wit ness and that each of the
following are true:
(A) The person making the acknowledgment is the person named in the document.
(B) The person making the acknowledgment is personally known to the witness.
(C) That it is the reasonable belief of the witness that the circumstances of the person making
the acknowledgment are such that it would be very difficult or impossible for that person to
obtain another form of identification.
(D) The person making the acknowledgment does not possess any o f the identification
documents named in paragraphs (3) and (4).
(E) The witness does not have a financial interest in the document being acknowledged and
is not named in the document.
(2) The oath or affirmation under penalty of perjury of two credible witnesses, whose identities
are proven to the officer upon the presentation of satisfactory evidence, that each statement in
paragraph (1) of this subdivision is true.

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37CIVIL CODE
(3) Reasonable reliance on the presentation to the officer of any one of the following, if the
document is current or has been issued within five years:
(A) An identification card or driver’s license issued by the California Department of Motor
Vehicles.
(B) A passport issued by the Department of State of the United States.
(4) Reasonable reliance on the presentation of any one of the f ollowing, provided that a
document specified in subparagraphs (A) to (E), inclusive, shal l either be current or have
been issued within five years and shall contain a photograph an d description of the person
named on it, shall be signed by the person, shall bear a serial  or other identifying number,
and, in the event that the document is a passport, shall have b een stamped by the United
States Immigration and Naturalization Service:
(A) A passport issued by a foreign government.
(B) A driver’s license issued by a state other than California or by a Canadian or Mexican
public agency authorized to issue drivers’ licenses.
(C) An identification card issued by a state other than California.
(D) An identification card issued by any branch of the armed forces of the United States.
(E) An inmate identification card issued on or after January 1, 1988, by the Department of
Corrections, if the inmate is in custody.
(F) An inmate identification card issued prior to January 1, 19 88, by the Department of
Corrections, if the inmate is in custody.
(d) An officer who has taken an acknowledgment pursuant to this section shall be presumed
to have operated in accordance with the provisions of law.
(e) Any party who files an action for damages based on the failure of the officer to establish
the proper identity of the person making the acknowledgment shall have the burden of proof
in establishing the negligence or misconduct of the officer.
(f) Any person convicted of perjury under this section shall forfeit any financial interest in
the document.
§ 1188. Certificate of acknowledgment
An officer taking the acknowledgment of an instrument shall end orse thereon or attach
thereto a certificate substantially in the form prescribed in Section 1189.
§ 1189. Certificate of acknowledgment; form; sufficiency of out of state
acknowledgment; force and effect of acknowledgment under prior laws
(a) Any certificate of acknowledgment taken within this state s hall be in the following
form:
State of California
}County of _________
On __________ before me, (here insert name and title of the officer), personally
appeared
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________,
personally known to me (or proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence) to be the
person(s) whose name(s) is/are subscribed to the within instrument and acknowledged to
me that he/she/they executed the same in his/her/their authorized capacity(ies), and that by
his/her/their signature(s) on the instrument the person(s), or the entity upon behalf of
which the person(s) acted, executed the instrument.
WITNESS my hand and official seal.
Signature __________________________________ (Seal)

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38 CIVIL CODE
(b) Any certificate of acknowledgment taken in another place shall be sufficient in this state
if it is taken in accordance with the laws of the place where the acknowledgment is made.
(c) On documents to be filed in another state or jurisdiction of the United States, a California
notary public may complete any acknowledgment form as may be required in that other state
or jurisdiction on a document, provided the form does not require the notary to determine or
certify that the signer holds a particular representative capacity or to make other determinations
and certifications not allowed by California law.
(d) An acknowledgment provided prior to January 1, 1993, and co nforming to applicable
provisions of former Sections 1189, 1190, 1190a, 1190.1, 1191, and 1192, as repealed by
Chapter 335 of the Statutes of 1990, shall have the same force and effect as if those sections
had not been repealed.
§ 1190. Certificate of acknowledgment as prima facie evidence; d uly authorized
 person
The certificate of acknowledgment of an instrument executed on behalf of an incorporated
or unincorporated entity by a duly authorized person in the for m specified in Section 1189
shall be prima facie evidence that the instrument is the duly authorized act of the entity named
in the instrument and shall be conclusive evidence thereof in favor of any good faith purchaser,
lessee, or encumbrancer. “Duly authorized person,” with respect  to a domestic or foreign
corporation, includes the president, vice president, secretary,  and assistant secretary of the
corporation.
§ 1193. Certificate of acknowledgment; authentication
Officers taking and certifying acknowledgments or proof of inst ruments for record, must
authenticate their certificates by affixing thereto their signa tures, followed by the names of
their offices; also, their seals of office, if by the laws of t he State or country where the
acknowledgment or proof is taken, or by authority of which they are acting, they are required
to have official seals.
§ 1195. Proof of execution; methods; certificate form
(a) Proof of the execution of an instrument, when not acknowledg ed, may be made any of
the following:
1. By the party executing it, or either of them.
2. By a subscribing witness.
3. By other witnesses, in cases mentioned in Section 1198.
(b) Proof of the execution of a grant deed, mortgage, deed of trust, quitclaim deed, or security
agreement is not permitted pursuant to Section 27287 of the Government Code, though proof
of the execution of a trustee’s deed or deed of reconveyance is permitted.
(c) Any certificate for proof of execution taken within this sta te may be in the following
form, although the use of other, substantially similar forms is not precluded:
State of California
}
 ss.County of _________
On __________ (date), before me, the undersigned, a notary publ ic for the state, personally
appeared _________________ (subscribing witness’s name), personally known to me (or proved
to me on the oath of _________________ [credible witness’s name], who is personally known
to me) to be the person whose name is subscribed to the within instrument, as a witness thereto,
who, being by me duly sworn, deposed and said that he/she was p resent and saw
_________________ (name[s] of principal[s]), the same person(s)  described in and whose
name(s) is/are subscribed to the within and annexed instrument in his/her/their authorized
capacity(ies) as (a) party (ies) thereto, execute the same, and that said affiant subscribed his/
her name to the within instrument as a witness at the request of _________________ (name[s]
of principal[s]).
WITNESS my hand and official seal.
Signature ______________________________________ (Seal)

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39CIVIL CODE
§ 1196. Subscribing witness; establishment of identity
If by a subscribing witness, that witness shall be personally known to the officer taking the
proof to be the person whose name is subscribed to the instrume nt as a witness, or shall be
proved to be such by the oath of a credible witness who is pers onally known to the officer
taking the proof, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 1185.
§ 1197. Subscribing witness; items to be proved
The subscribing witness must prove that the person whose name is subscribed to the instrument
as a party is the person described in it, and that such person executed it, and that the witness
subscribed his name thereto as a witness.
§ 1633.11. Notarization and signature under penalty of perjury r equirements
(a) If a law requires that a signature be notarized, the requirement is satisfied with respect to
an electronic signature if an electronic record includes, in addition to the electronic signature
to be notarized, the electronic signature of a notary public together with all other information
required to be included in a notarization by other applicable law.
* * *
§ 1633.12. Retaining records; electronic satisfaction
(a) If a law requires that a record be retained, the requirement  is satisfied by retaining an
electronic record of the information in the record, if the elec tronic record reflects accurately
the information set forth in the record at the time it was first generated in its final form as an
electronic record or otherwise, and the electronic record remains accessible for later reference.
(b) A requirement to retain a record in accordance with subdivis ion (a) does not apply to
any information the sole purpose of which is to enable the record to be sent, communicated, or
received.
(c) A person may satisfy subdivision (a) by using the services o f another person if the
requirements of subdivision (a) are satisfied.
(d) If a law requires a record to be retained in its original form, or provides consequences if
the record is not retained in its original form, that law is sa tisfied by an electronic record
retained in accordance with subdivision (a).
(e) If a law requires retention of a check, that requirement is satisfied by retention of an
electronic record of the information on the front and back of t he check in accordance with
subdivision (a).
(f) A record retained as an electronic record in accordance with  subdivision (a) satisfies a
law requiring a person to retain a record for evidentiary, audit, or like purposes, unless a law
enacted after the effective date of this title specifically prohibits the use of an electronic record
for a specified purpose.
(g) This section does not preclude a governmental agency from sp ecifying additional
requirements for the retention of a record subject to the agency’s jurisdiction.

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40 CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE
CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE
§ 12a. Computation of time; holidays; application of section
(a) If the last day for the performance of any act provided or required by law to be performed
within a specified period of time is a holiday, then that perio d is hereby extended to and
including the next day which is not a holiday.  For purposes of this section, “holiday” means
all day on Saturdays, all holidays specified in Section 135 and, to the extent provided in Section
12b, all days which by terms of Section 12b are required to be considered as holidays.
* * *
§ 1935. Subscribing witness defined
A subscribing witness is one who sees a writing executed or hears it acknowledged, and at
the request of the party thereupon signs his name as a witness.
§ 2093. Officers authorized to administer oaths or affirmations
(a) Every court, every judge, or clerk of any court, every justi ce, and every notary public,
and every officer or person authorized to take testimony in any  action or proceeding, or to
decide upon evidence, has the power to administer oaths or affirmations.
(b) (1) Every shorthand reporter certified pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section
8020) of Chapter 13 of Division 3 of the Business and Professio ns Code has the power to
administer oaths or affirmations and may perform the duties of the deposition officer pursuant
to Section 2025. The certified shorthand reporter shall be entitled to receive fees for services
rendered during a deposition, including fees for deposition services, as specified in subdivision
(c) of Section 8211 of the Government Code.
(2) This subdivision shall also apply to depositions taken by te lephone or other remote
electronic means as specified in Sections 2017 and 2025.
(c) A former judge or justice of a court of record in this stat e who retired or resigned from
office, other than a judge or justice who was retired by the Supreme Court for disability, shall
have the power to administer oaths or affirmations, if the former judge or justice requests and
receives a certification from the Commission on Judicial Performance that there was no formal
disciplinary proceeding pending at the time of retirement or re signation. Where no formal
disciplinary proceeding was pending at the time of retirement or resignation, the Commission
on Judicial Performance shall issue the certification.
No law, rule, or regulation regarding the confidentiality of proceedings of the Commission
on Judicial Performance shall be construed to prohibit the Commission on Judicial Performance
from issuing a certificate as provided for in this section.
§ 2094. Oath to witness; form
(a) An oath, affirmation, or declaration in an action or a proceeding, may be administered by
obtaining an affirmative response to one of the following questions:
(1) “Do you solemnly state that the evidence you shall give in this issue (or matter) shall be
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”
(2) “Do you solemnly state, under penalty of perjury, that the evidence that you shall give in
this issue (or matter) shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”
* * *
ELECTIONS CODE
§ 8080. Fee for verification
No fee or charge shall be made or collected by any officer for verifying any nomination
document or circulator’s affidavit.

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41COMMERICIAL CODE
COMMERCIAL CODE
§ 3505. Protest; Noting for Protest
* * *
(b) A protest is a certificate of dishonor made by a United States consul or vice consul, or a
notary public or other person authorized to administer oaths by the law of the place where
dishonor occurs. It may be made upon information satisfactory t o that person. The protest
shall identify the instrument and certify either that presentment has been made or, if not made,
the reason why it was not made, and that the instrument has been dishonored by nonacceptance
or nonpayment. The protest may also certify that notice of dishonor has been given to some or
all parties.
PROBATE CODE
§ 4307. Certified copies of power of attorney
(a) A copy of a power of attorney certified under this section has the same force and effect as
the original power of attorney.
(b) A copy of a power of attorney may be certified by any of the following:
(1) An attorney authorized to practice law in this state.
(2) A notary public in this state.
(3) An official of a state or of a political subdivision who is authorized to make certifications.
(c) The certification shall state that the certifying person has examined the original power of
attorney and the copy and that the copy is a true and correct c opy of the original power of
attorney.
(d) Nothing in this section is intended to create an implicatio n that a third person may be
liable for acting in good faith reliance on a copy of a power o f attorney that has not been
certified under this section.
FAMILY CODE
§ 9003. Consent of birth parents to adoption; execution; filing; out-of-state procedure;
prima facie evidence of custody; minor birth parents
(a) In a stepparent adoption, the consent of either or both birth parents shall be signed in the
presence of a notary public, court clerk, probation officer, qualified court investigator, or county
welfare department staff member of any county of this state. The notary public, court clerk,
probation officer, qualified court investigator, or county welfare department staff member before
whom the consent is signed shall immediately file the consent w ith the clerk of the court
where the adoption petition is filed. The clerk shall immediate ly notify the probation officer
or, at the option of the board of supervisors, the county welfare department of that county.
(b) If the birth parent of a child to be adopted is outside this state at the time of signing the
consent, the consent may be signed before a notary or other per son authorized to perform
notarial acts.
(c) The consent, when reciting that the person giving it is entitled to sole custody of the child
and when acknowledged before the notary public, court clerk, pr obation officer, qualified
court investigator, or county welfare department staff member, is prima facie evidence of the
right of the person signing the consent to the sole custody of the child and that person’s sole
right to consent.
(d) A birth parent who is a minor has the right to sign a consent for the adoption of the birth
parent’s child and the consent is not subject to revocation by reason of the minority.

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42 PENAL CODE
PENAL CODE
§ 17. Felony; misdemeanor; infraction; classification of offense s
(a) A felony is a crime which is punishable with death or by imp risonment in the state
prison. Every other crime or public offense is a misdemeanor ex cept those offenses that are
classified as infractions. * * *
§ 115.5. Filing false or forged documents relating to single-fam ily residences;
                 punishment; false statement to notary public
(a) Every person who files any false or forged document or instr ument with the county
recorder which affects title to, places an encumbrance on, or p laces an interest secured by a
mortgage or deed of trust on, real property consisting of a single-family residence containing
not more than four dwelling units, with knowledge that the docu ment is false or forged, is
punishable, in addition to any other punishment, by a fine not exceeding seventy-five thousand
dollars ($75,000).
(b) Every person who makes a false sworn statement to a notary p ublic, with knowledge
that the statement is false, to induce the notary public to perform an improper notarial act on
an instrument or document affecting title to, or placing an enc umbrance on, real property
consisting of a single-family residence containing not more than four dwelling units is guilty
of a felony.
§ 118. Perjury defined; evidence necessary to support conviction
(a) Every person who, having taken an oath that he or she will t estify, declare, depose, or
certify truly before any competent tribunal, officer, or person, in any of the cases in which the
oath may by law of the State of California be administered, willfully and contrary to the oath,
states as true any material matter which he or she knows to be false, and every person who
testifies, declares, deposes, or certifies under penalty of per jury in any of the cases in which
the testimony, declarations, depositions, or certification is p ermitted by law of the State of
California under penalty of perjury and willfully states as true any material matter which he or
she knows to be false, is guilty of perjury.
This subdivision is applicable whether the statement, or the testimony, declaration, deposition,
or certification is made or subscribed within or without the State of California.
(b) No person shall be convicted of perjury where proof of falsi ty rests solely upon
contradiction by testimony of a single person other than the defendant. Proof of falsity may be
established by direct or indirect evidence.
§ 126. Punishment
Perjury is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three or four years.
§ 470. Forgery; signatures or seals; corruption of records
***
(b) Every person who, with the intent to defraud, counterfeits or forges the seal or handwriting
of another is guilty of forgery.
***
(d) Every person who, with the intent to defraud, falsely makes, alters, forges, or counterfeits,
utters, publishes, passes or attempts or offers to pass, as true and genuine, any of the following
items, knowing the same to be false, altered, forged, or counterfeited, is guilty of forgery:  …
or falsifies the acknowledgment of any notary public, or any no tary public who issues an
acknowledgment knowing it to be false; or any matter described in subdivision (b).
***
§ 473. Forgery; punishment
Forgery is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison, or by imprisonment in the county
jail for not more than one year.

2003 Notarial Protest Manual

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