"... specific info on the whys and wherefores, I'd love to hear it."
Raised/embossed seal: If you've never seen the document after it is recorded, these seals are grayed over with pencil or a reverse ink stamp so that the seal can be seen on the scanned and filed document. Over text - oops, may not be able to read text, may not be able to read seal, may be just a big black circle and you can't read either.
Over ANY signature the worst possible spot: It distorts the signature so that reviewing the scanned recorded document you can't tell if it "matches" previous signatures; i.e., is this a forgery? The same is true for the original document, once the embossed seal is placed over a signature it is impossible to use it for forgery comparison - the seal has "changed" the signature.
I like an ink stamp seal so the Recording Clerk or secretary making a copy of the document doesn't have to pencil over my seal to make it appear on a pdf or paper copy. Yes, it's often a pain to find the LEAST problematic spot.
(Years ago, I enjoyed a fraud and forgery seminar by a member of the Canadian Mounted Police - complete in his uniform - very cool.) |