Posted by obbie on 12/4/11 8:35pm
Msg #405756

notary page

while going through documents for a closing on friday I noticed a document was in two parts. The first page was document, borrower signature and acknowledgement wording, the second page was my signature line and commission expiration line thats all. I was not comfortable notarizing the page with my signature only? opinions please. It goes out tomorrow I need to make a decision. I haven't stamped the second page where my signature is but I did put my stamp on the document page.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 12/4/11 8:43pm
Msg #405757

I don't feel comfortable completing a notary certificate that is split onto two pages either. In the situation you described (which I have encountered before), I would simply sign and stamp at the bottom of page 1, following the notary certificate. My commission expiration date is on my stamp so I would not write that again separately. I would then pull that second page and not return it with the package, just so there is no confusion on the TC's end with why the notary signature line is blank.

Reply by obbie on 12/4/11 9:56pm
Msg #405759

awesome answer thank you, that is exactly what I will do.

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 12/4/11 11:39pm
Msg #405761

Most often I do it on one page too. However, sometimes that second page is very clearly a part of the document Such as being numbered page 2 and having the title of the document on the bottom. However, even with that caveat, I would still always stamp the page with the notarial certificate.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 12/5/11 12:47am
Msg #405763

A good while back, I once called the CA SOS about a situation like that. I was told that it all needs to be on the same page. I don't recall ever seeing anything in writing that would indicate that, but it sounds like a good general notarial practice to me and something I've always adhered to.

I've done the same thing as Copperhead/VA before, but instead of pulling page 2, I just wrote "see page 1" on the bottom and left it in, since it was numbered together. If it isn't possible to get everything on one page in a situation like this, I always replace the whole thing with a loose certificate. If they're going to take another page anyway, they should just add some more spaces at the bottom to leave the certificate and signature (and enough room for a stamp) all on one page, IMO. If they don't, and I can't get it all on one, they're going to end up with another page they didn't count on.

Reply by Hollywood Notary.Net on 12/5/11 3:53am
Msg #405766

Hi. You need to attach a loose certificate. Your signature and stamp need to be on a completely-worded notarial certificate, period, no exceptions. I don't know about other states, but to have only your signature and stamp on a page without the rest of the certificate violates the Notary law in California.

Good luck.

- David

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 12/5/11 4:21am
Msg #405768

Re: notary page...I've seen this too

I just draw a signature line at the bottom of page one, sign and stamp there - I ignore page two.

Reply by ikando on 12/5/11 8:30pm
Msg #405838

Re: notary page...I've seen this too

I do the same as Linda. Depending upon how much room is available, I'll write my expiration date even though it is on my stamp.

I had a signing where the only thing on the second page was the spouse's signature line with name printed below. I asked her to sign directly under her husband's and print her name under it.

Another example of the quality control in the offices of those expecting us to make them look good.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 12/5/11 6:32am
Msg #405776

I agree with the others that if the pages are numbered, then keep it in the package but draw a line through it or make a notarion to see page 1. If not numbered, I pull it from the package.

Reply by VT_Syrup on 12/5/11 12:10pm
Msg #405806

I think it is a best practice to try to have the signers signatures, the notary wording, the notary signature, and the notary seal all on the same page. I have read posts by California notaries saying they were advised by phone calls to the CA SOS that the signature and seal must be on the same page as the notary wording. But I've also heard that each call to the CA SOS can yield a different answer. I take the approach that one document is one document, all the way through from the title at the top of the first page to the signatures and notary certificate at the end, and page endings can fall where they may. Also, anything called out within the document is part of the document, like a survey or "Attachment A" is also part of the document. Unless there is a law or regulation to the contrary (and there isn't in VT), I could put my signature (and optional seal) on the page after the notary language, if there was no room on the page with the language, even though it isn't a best practice. I have read that certain foreign governments want to see the notary seal on every page. I could do that, as long as every page is part of the one document and the document has notary wording in it somewhere. Some authors, like Piombino, think it's a best practice.

Reply by C. Rivera Chicago Notary Services on 12/5/11 4:17pm
Msg #405823

Re: notary page - sometimes pages split when scanning the

doc into a pdf file.

But I'd do what Copperhead suggested as well.