Getting forms notarized can be a tedious chore, but Neighborly Notary® makes the process easy and affordable. Helmed by Roberta Arnone, a New York lawyer, the company is community-focused, and is now offering back-to-school deals in preparation for the upcoming school year.

Arnone boasts quite an impressive resumé. Having worked in both banking and the court system for over 20 years, she’s developed quite a skill set. Neighborly Notary® is her outlet of serving the public in a nontraditional way, bringing art and warmth to a field that is traditionally bereft of both.

In 2003, Arnone began closing residential refinance loans and was requested to assist with the notary piece of an international adoption. Arnone instantly fell in love with the work, and decided to pursue it.

“I was in kitchens and living rooms, and it satisfied a need I can’t explain.” Arnone said. “It was something more personal that allowed me to actually see the people I was helping. I knew at the time that I had the opportunity to change the direction of my career, and I decided to go with it.”

Since its launch, Neighborly Notary® has notarized more prenuptial agreements than any other notary public, which she credits to her trademarked double-hearts tattoo stamp, which she designed with help from Gail Somers in 2008. As part of Neighborly Notary®’s back-to-school deals, Roberta is offering exclusive rates for any school-related documents. There are also student and senior discounts.

Though law may be her primary focus, Arnone also has seen quite a bit of success as a GIF creator. In 2019, she began posting animated art on GIF websites such as GIPHY and Tenor.

“I am part of the Amoroso family, which means ‘loving’ in Italian and is used by concert directors to convey tenderness,” Arnone said. “So my name, Neighborly Notary®, inside of my double-hearts logo means everything to me. I am literally putting my heart on my sleeve with every notarization.”

To date, her GIFs have had over 4.4 billion views. She even created a short animated film about what it’s like to be on the other side of Neighborly Notary®’s purple phone, which earned her an IMDB credit.

“People ended up finding me because of my GIFs,” Arnone continued. “The worldwide attention has been overwhelming, but I’m elated that people are enjoying them. It’s my legacy and I’m thrilled to spread the message of love all around the world.”

Arnone has devoted her career to public service, pro bono legal services and community outreach. Some of Neighborly Notary®’s novel nuggets of notary know-how include: (1) Once a document is notarized, it can be authenticated to be entered as evidence in court; (2) the lease guaranty paragraph on the signature page of New York’s residential lease agreement is on the last page so that the guarantor is on notice of the terms of the entire lease agreement on the pages that precede it; and (3) you must bring the entire printed-out lease agreement with you when you plan to sign as guarantor to demonstrate that you accept all lease terms.

“New York is a wonderfully unique place and so are its laws,” Arnone said. “Here we require a New York attorney to be present to officiate the New York Will Execution ceremony. It is such a big problem with unknowledgeable notaries across the state trying to make a quick buck, that the New York Notary law explicitly admonishes in writing any notary who dares take on this important legal service.”

Neighborly Notary® will gladly notarize your New York power of attorney document but Arnone cannot also serve as a witness, as it would be an inherent conflict of interest. Please arrange to have two witnesses for your power of attorney meeting.

“During business hours I make notary visits on location,” Arnone went on to say. “In the evenings, I offer $2 notary walk-up services in my street-level lobby on the upper west side of Manhattan. On weekend days, only seniors may be assisted at the $2 rate in my lobby. All others must please wait until after 6:30 p.m. most evenings when I’m available.”

Visit Neighborly Notary®’s website, neighborlynotary.net, to schedule your next notary meeting.

Adam Samuel is a journalist from Teaneck. He blogs at www.adamssoapbox.com.