Posted by Debi on 6/29/05 4:13pm
Msg #48847

Notary Signing off on her own signature

I know this sounds crazy, but a lady called into our office and said she could notarize her own signature. I told the staff I have never heard of this. I know I would not do this for my own. Any thoughts?

Reply by PAW_Fl on 6/29/05 4:22pm
Msg #48850

I have not studied every states notary laws, but those that I have, I have never read that a notary can notarize their own signature. Quite the contrary. I would bet dollars to donuts, that no state allows a notary to notarize their own signature. And until proven otherwise, I will assume that to be true, nationwide.

Reply by Stephen_VA on 6/29/05 5:21pm
Msg #48862

Notarizing your own signature is antithesis to the whole idea of a notary. I would have trouble believing *any* state would allow it.

Reply by DonnanorthernCA on 6/30/05 12:23am
Msg #48943

There are many notaries out there who just didn't get it. I did a signing last night where one of the borrowers worked for the lender that they were getting the loan from, as a matter of fact, she told me that she notarizes loans all day long. I had them both initial all pages of the DOT, which she did, and then she proceeded to tell me that she doesn't "make" people initial those pages. At the end, I administered the oath, which she took, and then again told me that thewy don't do that when she notarizes at work. to which I responded " Well I do, it is an important part of the notarization. Also, we had to sit on the couch and use the coffeetable for the signing because she decided to let her children sit at the kitchen table. I think that if she notarizes loans all day that she should have known that we needed a table

Reply by BrendaTX on 6/30/05 12:36am
Msg #48944

***I think that if she notarizes loans all day that she should have known that we needed a table ***

I think you are right.

Reply by JanetK/CA on 6/30/05 2:46am
Msg #48952

I agree. After all, how do you "personally appear" before yourself? Go look in a mirror???!! Some people just don't get it... And on the "oath" issue, I've had two people in two days (who both claimed to have refinanced several times) say that no one has ever administered an oath to them before. I hear this all the time. Wait... I bet they took one of those classes where they get to take the notary exam the same day, then proceed to forget most of what they supposedly learned!!

That reminds me of a great quote I heard a while back: "practice doesn't make perfect; it just makes permanent". So if someone continues to do things wrong over and over again, it doesn't matter how many signings they have done. It's one of the reasons I feel these message boards are so valuable. We need to be continually questioning how we do things, not just doing it because that's the way we've always seen it done - or have always done it ourselves. OK, I'm getting off my soapbox now and going to bed..