The California Secretary of State (CA SOS) recently issued an alert regarding a private company claiming to offer online notarization. The company has sent misleading information and made false claims that its new web-based platform allows a person to submit copies of identification using a webcam in lieu of appearing in person. The CA SOS wants to stress that appearance via webcam is not a permissible option and that online notarization services are not legal in California. Read the complete customer alert here.

Spring is right around the corner and many of us are eager to get things organized and to introduce positive changes and enhancements to our lives. At Parasec and Paracorp, we’re doing the same thing. In fact, we have made several management-level changes that we are confident will help make our accessibility and customer service better than ever.

From this point on, I will act as chairman of the board, a position that will allow me to stay active in the overall vision and direction of the company. This will be a great change for me after spending 20 years as president. While the duties of my position have changed somewhat, I plan to maintain as much customer contact as possible and am looking forward to facing some new challenges.

Matt Marzucco, previously our operations manager, will step into the role of president, taking on responsibility for much of the day-to-day functions of the firm as well as increasing his contact with our wonderful clients. Matt has been with the company for 14 years and has worked in our registered agent division, IT department and our operations wing. Matt and I are both excited about this reorganization because it will give our clients more access when they need a quick response from someone in a top-level position.

Replacing Matt as operations manager will be Jessica Sierras, who has been with Parasec for 12 years and has moved up steadily from account executive to supervisor (of Title and UCC as well as our branches) and now to operations manager. Jessica is an eager learner with a thirst for knowledge and we are confident that she will take the reigns of operations manager with great skill and gusto.

Another change within the company is that Ian Sierchio has assumed the position of sales manager, a role that he has stepped into with great success – as many of our clients can attest. Ian’s insatiable curiosity and hunger for knowledge have led him from acting as one of our regional accounts managers to becoming assistant sales manager and finally to his new role as sales manager.

Phil Conner, previously our acting sales manager, will now focus his efforts on corporate development and other additional projects within the company. His commitment to this company and to our continued growth and success are of great value.

Finally, it would be remiss not to mention Barbara Geiger, who will remain vice president and head of our registered agent division (Paracorp). Barbara has been a member of the Parasec team since 1992, and her knowledge, experience and dedication to our clients and staff have made her an integral part of the company.

As a company, we feel that these management changes will improve our ability to service our clients and at the same time continue to grow and prepare our employees for continuing advancement. Please let us know what you think as you experience this growth with us. Please feel free to contact any of us for any reason you may have, including just to say “hello.”

Lynn Conner

Chairman of the Board

Every entity doing business in Oklahoma is now required to file a Business Activity Tax (BAT). The imposed tax comes about as a result of Senate Joint Resolution 61 (SJR 61), which passed during the 2010 legislative session, and will be in effect for tax years 2011 and 2012. The BAT will be filed in lieu of the Franchise Tax return, which had a moratorium placed on it as a result of SJR 61. The BAT form was made available for use back in January 2011. Additional filing and payment information, please visit the Oklahoma Tax Commission web site at www.tax.ok.gov or give us a call at 800.533.7272.

We have just received word that the Embassy of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (aka the Embassy of Libya) in Washington, D.C. has been shut down due to “a dictatorship and a civil war." The embassy officer our representative spoke with had no idea as to how long the embassy would remain closed for. We will be sure to keep you abreast of changes in the embassy's status as we are made aware of them.

Parasec has just received official-looking documents from an entity calling itself “Department of California Collectors” or DCC. The official-looking documents imply that entities are required to complete the paperwork and return it along with a $175 fee for filing a Statement of Information. Please note: the fee for filing a Statement of Information with the California Secretary of State's (CA SOS) office is $20 or $25 - NOT the $175 these scams claim.

Please stay alert because there are many other companies perpetrating similar types of scams. Give us a call if you have ANY questions about documents you may receive, we can help determine if the documents you have received are legitimate or not.

According to a blurb in a recent issue of the California State License Board’s (CSLB) newsletter, recent changes to the California mechanic’s lien law will soon require contractors, subcontractors and suppliers to provide property owners with a Notice of Mechanic’s Lien. In addition, a Proof of Service Affidavit must also be completed, signed and delivered to the property owner. The new requirements will take effect January 1, 2011, and failure to comply with them will render the mechanic’s lien unenforceable.

The changes come about as a result of Assembly Bill 457, which can be read in its entirety here.

As many of you are aware, the California Secretary of State (CA SOS) has been experiencing processing delays due to budget cuts made during the past two years. The Legislature’s Budget Conference Committee recently adopted a measure (Budget Conference Item 0890-001-0228) to help improve processing times at the CA SOS. Secretary of State Debra Bowen is requesting the authority to use business filing fees to make technological upgrades, pay staff overtime and hire temporary staff to help process backlogged filings. Currently, the use of these fees is restricted. Bowen is urging Californians to submit support letters to the Governor’s office in an effort to get the measure preserved in the final budget. In an effort to keep our clients informed of the goings on at the CA SOS, we’ve included links to the letter we received from the CA SOS as well as two sample support letters for your review.