Overview
ABT Notary LLC is a notary public practice based at 3986 Penn Avenue in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, a borough in Berks County situated along the Penn Avenue corridor west of Reading. The business operates under the direction of Ashalisette (Asha) Caraballo and is identified by Google as both women-owned and Latino-owned. In addition to standard notarial acts performed at its Penn Avenue location, the company provides mobile notary service, traveling to clients' homes, workplaces, hospitals, care facilities, and settlement tables for a travel fee. The practice also handles tax preparation and assistance with immigration-related paperwork, which places it in the category of a general document services office rather than a notary desk alone.
Notarial Services
A notary public in Pennsylvania is commissioned by the Department of State and authorized to perform a defined set of official acts. ABT Notary LLC handles the range of work that falls within that commission, which typically includes:
- Acknowledgments, in which a signer confirms before the notary that a signature on a document is their own and was made voluntarily
- Jurats, which require the signer to swear or affirm to the truth of a document's contents in the notary's presence
- Administration of oaths and affirmations
- Certification of copies of documents, where permitted by law
- Signature witnessing
- Verification of vehicle titles and related Pennsylvania Department of Transportation transfer paperwork
Motor vehicle documents are a common reason Berks County residents visit a notary. Pennsylvania requires notarization for title transfers, and many notaries in the state also process tag, registration, and transfer work. Reviews of ABT Notary indicate that vehicle titles are among the documents regularly handled, including transfers completed on short timelines ahead of a sale or closing.
Other frequently notarized items include powers of attorney, affidavits, parental consent and travel authorization letters for minors, bills of sale, medical directives and living wills, trust documents, employment and immigration affidavits, and the various certifications requested by schools, insurers, and financial institutions. Pennsylvania notaries are prohibited from drafting legal documents or advising on their content, so the notary's function is limited to identity verification, witnessing, and completion of the notarial certificate.
Mobile and Remote Options
Mobile service is a defining feature of how ABT Notary operates. Rather than requiring every signer to appear at the Sinking Spring office during set hours, the business travels to the client's chosen location within its service area, which covers Sinking Spring, Wyomissing, West Lawn, Shillington, Reading, Wernersville, Robesonia, Mohnton, and surrounding communities in Berks County. Travel is billed at a fee in addition to the notarial charges set by state schedule.
Mobile notary work is often requested when a signer cannot easily travel: patients in hospitals or rehabilitation facilities, residents of assisted living communities, individuals with limited mobility, families with small children at home, and businesses that need multiple employees or partners to sign at one time. It also serves time-sensitive transactions where parties are meeting at an attorney's office, a dealership, a title company, or a job site.
The business lists online appointment booking among its service options, allowing clients to reserve a time without a phone call, though the office line at +1 610-616-5450 remains available for scheduling and questions.
Real Estate and Loan Signings
ABT Notary handles real estate and settlement documents, a specialized area of notary work that involves larger document packages and strict procedural requirements. Loan signing packages commonly include the deed of trust or mortgage, the promissory note, the closing disclosure, affidavits of occupancy, and multiple identity and compliance forms, many of which require notarization in a specific sequence and with exact dating. Errors in this paperwork can delay funding, so lenders and title companies generally prefer notaries who have handled the document type before. The practice's availability for refinances, purchases, seller packages, and reverse mortgage documents makes it a resource for Berks County title agencies and individual borrowers alike.
Tax Preparation
ABT Notary LLC prepares individual and small business tax returns, operating on a seasonal schedule that intensifies from late January through the April filing deadline and continues for extension filers through October. Services in this area generally cover federal Form 1040 returns, Pennsylvania state returns, and the local earned income tax filings required by Berks County municipalities and school districts, which are administered through a countywide collector and are often unfamiliar to newcomers to the state. Self-employment income, rental property, itemized deductions, education credits, and dependent-related credits are typical complications addressed during preparation. Clients bringing tax work to the office should expect to supply photo identification, Social Security numbers for everyone on the return, prior-year returns, and all income statements including W-2, 1099, and 1098 forms.
Immigration Document Assistance
The office assists clients with immigration-related paperwork, an area where notarial and translation support is frequently needed. Applicants for adjustment of status, naturalization, family petitions, employment authorization, and travel documents often require notarized affidavits of support, affidavits of relationship, or sworn statements, along with certified translations of foreign-issued birth, marriage, and academic records. It is worth noting that in the United States, a notary public is not an attorney and cannot provide legal advice on immigration matters; the distinction is particularly important for Spanish-speaking clients, since the term "notario público" carries a different professional meaning in many Latin American countries. Document preparation and notarization services are separate from legal representation before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Language Access
Services are offered in both English and Spanish. Berks County has a substantial Spanish-speaking population, particularly in and around the city of Reading, and bilingual capability is directly relevant to notarial work: Pennsylvania notaries must be able to communicate directly with signers to confirm that they understand the document and are signing willingly, which means a shared language between notary and signer is a practical requirement rather than a convenience.
Location, Parking, and Access
The Penn Avenue address sits along a commercial stretch that serves as the main east-west route through Sinking Spring, connecting to Route 222 and Route 422 and placing the office within roughly a ten-minute drive of Wyomissing and west Reading. On-site parking is available, with free street parking nearby, and the parking lot is wheelchair accessible.
Practical Notes for Clients
- Bring valid, unexpired government-issued photo identification for every person signing
- Do not sign documents in advance; signatures must be made in the notary's presence for most acts
- Bring the complete document, including all pages and exhibits, as notaries cannot certify incomplete records
- Arrange for any additional witnesses the document may require, as the notary generally cannot serve in that capacity
- Confirm the fee structure in advance, including travel charges for mobile appointments