Posted by jfs/IL on 3/24/10 7:32pm
Msg #328808

what is your opinion??

A neighbor of mine divorced his first wife ten years ago when they lived together in Virginia.
He has remarried and lives here in Illinois ten years and wants to cash in $500.00 dollars worth of stock from a certificate. He stated to me that she signed her name on the certificate when he visited his daughter and grandson last year. He wants to sign his name now and have me notarize the certificate for him to cash it in for currency. How do I know that it is his ex-wife's signature and not forged?? What would you do????

Reply by CF on 3/24/10 7:34pm
Msg #328809

Are you serious? Is this a trick question? Are you the Feds? n/m

Reply by jfs/IL on 3/24/10 7:36pm
Msg #328810

I'm looking for a straight answer to a straight question!! n/m

Reply by Claudine Osborne on 3/24/10 7:43pm
Msg #328811

Re: I'm looking for a straight answer to a straight question!!

Did you SEE the ex-wife? Did you look at her ID? I would say NO! Anyone can claim this is so&sos signature..Our job as a notary is to make sure the person signing is in fact the correct person. I would not notarize this..This has potential fraud written all over it!

Reply by jfs/IL on 3/24/10 7:48pm
Msg #328814

I was wondering if I should ask for something to be secured

from a notary in Virginia to prove her signature.

Reply by desktopfull on 3/24/10 8:52pm
Msg #328824

That should have been done first,

do yourself a favor and send the guy on his way. Also, contact your SOS and ask them the question.

Reply by Grammyzoom on 3/24/10 10:27pm
Msg #328840

I apologize

I read your first posting and it sounded like you were asking if you could notarize the signatures on this item, including another signature which was signed elsewhere and may or may not have belonged to the wife.

So I do apologize, but we all see so many ridiculous questions from people who are supposed to be experienced and professional that I usually tie up my typing fingers and change location, (put my brain in gear before putting my mouth in motion), but this posting got me!

Glad to see that you were not asking the question it appeared to be.

Reply by jfs/IL on 3/24/10 10:42pm
Msg #328842

Re: I apologize

Apology is accepted and thank you!!

Reply by Lee/AR on 3/24/10 7:43pm
Msg #328812

Oh, c'mon.... was the lady in front of you when she signed it (if she signed it)? No! End of story.

Reply by jfs/IL on 3/24/10 7:52pm
Msg #328815

Thank you this was about education and answers from honest

folks like yourself. I will let him know it is not possible to help him.
Unless he takes it with him the next time he visits his daughter in Virginia.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 3/24/10 8:12pm
Msg #328817

My honest opinion
You should read your Illinois notary handbook pages 7 and 8

Reply by Cam/CA on 3/24/10 8:19pm
Msg #328818

Re: I haven't read the IL Notary handbook, but hy can't the

document be sent to her in VA, her signature notarized there, then sent back him the his signature notarized in IL? Am I missing something?

Reply by Cam/CA on 3/24/10 8:22pm
Msg #328819

Re: sorry got a couple of typos in there....should be "why"

in the title and "sent back to him, then his signature notarized".

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 3/24/10 8:33pm
Msg #328821

Re: I haven't read the IL Notary handbook, but hy can't the

yep - her signature could have been notarized in VA, and then his signature notarized in IL. But that wasn't what he was asking.

Reply by MW/VA on 3/24/10 9:03pm
Msg #328825

A lot of good advice here. Always remember that a lot of

fraud is committed by "x's". You already no not to touch that one with a 10 ft. pole.

Reply by Grammyzoom on 3/24/10 9:11pm
Msg #328829

Blown away!!!

I don't mean to be disrespectful but I am blown away by some of the questions I see posted here.

You must ask yourself one question. What is the most basic responsibility of a notary no matter which state you live in.

I have a new student, as of today, who has done a few signings and was told by someone last night that the lender might as well have sent someone from McDonalds to notarize the documents. She was very embarrased and is now in training.

If you are going to do this job, please at the very least read your handbooks. All of the answers and advise you have been given here are right on! Listen to what they are telling you.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 3/24/10 9:46pm
Msg #328832

My opinion is not worth a sou, but begs to blurt out

"How do I know that it is his ex-wife's signature and not forged??"

Are you notarizing the signatures of just the person who actually appeared before you, or all of the signatories on the document(s)?

Reply by jfs/IL on 3/24/10 10:01pm
Msg #328838

Re: My opinion is not worth a sou, but begs to blurt out

What I was looking for is simply this information...can this document be sent back and her signature acknowledged by a notary in Virginia and forward the paperwork back to me and complete the process here in Illinois with the ex husband here. I swear people you are taking things out of context here and I am asking a simple what is your opinion on handling this issue.
Sylvia, if my Illinois handbook which i know very well had the answer to this fo rvirginia and my state I would not be asking the most experienced folks

Reply by jfs/IL on 3/24/10 10:19pm
Msg #328839

If you folks followed the thread you would find what I was

asking in the fifth question down from the top of the thread.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 3/24/10 10:58pm
Msg #328847

My apologies, jfs. n/m

Reply by jfs/IL on 3/24/10 11:06pm
Msg #328848

Re: My apologies, jfs.

Apology accepted Susan and thank you.

Reply by LKT/CA on 3/24/10 11:49pm
Msg #328852

Re: My opinion is not worth a sou, but begs to blurt out

<<<.......can this document be sent back and her signature acknowledged by a notary in Virginia and forward the paperwork back to me and complete the process here in Illinois with the ex husband here.>>>

Yes, that is called a "split signing". Whether general notary work or loan documents - it doesn't matter. When multiple signers are getting their signatures notarized for the same documents at different times, it is called a "split signing". Yes, notarize the man's signature and give him the paperwork, certificates or whatever it is to FedEx or mail to the ex-wife so she can find a notary in Virginia to notarize her signature. It doesn't matter who gets their signature notarized first and once you notarize his signature, you're through. No one needs to mail anything to you. He's responsible to forward the paperwork to her.

In reference to your first post - let's say the story was a little different. Let's say her signature did not need notarizing, only his. If he tells you that's her signature, he does not have to prove it, you must take his word for it and there is no fraud involved. You are not the signature police.

If he were to say on the sly, "Hee, hee, just between you a me, notary, I sort of signed her name myself....hee, hee [wink, wink, nudge, nudge]". If he does THAT, then he just admitted fraud and you'd have to refuse to notarize HIS signature. But other than that, the document signatures for those we are not notarizing are not our business, nor is the document contents, other than blanks being filled in and the doc being whole (all pages present).

<<<I swear people you are taking things out of context here and I am asking a simple what is your opinion on handling this issue.>>>

If replies take a different direction, that means you were not clear. No one reads minds here so it's up to you to include as much information to get thorough answers and from your first post, I see why you received the responses you received. JMHO

Reply by jfs/IL on 3/25/10 12:01am
Msg #328854

I appreciate your input, however, I thought I was

communicating clear on the issue. I gave the scenario in the very first post and then asked the question in the fifth post if I should do. People just fail to read through the thread and assume their opinions right away. Without looking at the total picture and I understand why some folks get frustrated with the way they are treated. The only stupid question is the one that is not asked and will get you into trouble. And by the way, her signature is on the form already and that is why I brought this up in the first place looking for opinions.

Reply by LKT/CA on 3/25/10 12:27am
Msg #328859

Re: I appreciate your input, however, I thought I was

<<<I gave the scenario in the very first post and then asked the question in the fifth post if I should do. >>>

I read your first post hours before I actually responded. Your first post was one issue [customer says ex-wife already signed, how do I know it's her signature] - your fifth post was another issue [can she have her signature notarized in Virginia]. IMHO, it limits confusion when both the scenario and the question are in the same (the first) post.

Your first post was clear in what it was asking but (to me) your fifth post was not asking the same thing. I saw two separate questions, which is why I provided two separate responses i the other reply.

<<<And by the way, her signature is on the form already and that is why I brought this up in the first place looking for opinions.>>>

Always remember that the notary is only responsible for the signature they are notarizing - nothing more.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 3/25/10 12:36am
Msg #328860

Something else at work here, I think...

As it happens with many things, when we get too close to something, it's hard to see it as others do because we're so used to it and it's just second nature. I think that's probably the case with the issue of split signings. Fortunately, Lisa (LKT) figured out what you were really asking. I didn't understand your question either, until I read the whole thread. We all read messages from our own perspective, not necessarily that of the writer...

BTW, I'd add to Lisa's answer to be very sure to complete your notary certificate in such a way that it is VERY clear that you were only notarizing his signature. For me, that would include lining through any extra space after his name so that no one could write in a second person's name, as well as having the verbiage reflect that it was a "him" who signed, not a "her" or a "they" - just to be on the safe side.

Reply by jfs/IL on 3/25/10 12:48am
Msg #328861

Re: Something else at work here, I think...

Thanks Janet...I did make two posts on the subject I was asking about. The first and main post was the scenario and the fifth was my after thought and looking for someone to agree with me to be on the safe side.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 3/25/10 8:19am
Msg #328885

Re: I appreciate your input, however, I thought I was

Joseph
The confusion was because of the way the first question was phrased. I read the whole thread. Would have been better to just ask could you just notarize his signature and then have him send the document back to VA to his ex-wife to get her signature notarized.

It looked like you were asking about both signatures being notarized.

I would just let your friend know that you can only notarize his signature, and if his wife's name is on the notary certificate cross it out. Then he can take care of sending the document back to his wife for her to get her signature notarized.

Reply by jfs/IL on 3/25/10 12:01pm
Msg #328935

Re: I appreciate your input, however, I thought I was

Thank you and I respect your advice Sylvia!!

Reply by jba/fl on 3/25/10 12:22am
Msg #328858

In total agreement w/LKT, esp. last paragraph n/m

Reply by Cari on 3/31/10 8:48am
Msg #329765

imagine u notarized it, she sues u. what's ur answer now? n/m