Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 11/4/12 10:29am
Msg #442112
Yes, there are some states that are very strict about that. Circle, line through or attach a loose cert. I would circle "she" line through the "s". If it was a Provident loan I would attach a loose cert. AZ is strict about it actually being attached.
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Reply by LKT/CA on 11/4/12 11:22am
Msg #442118
Yes, when completing an all-purpose certificate that is included with the doc, I circle the appropriate pronouns/language and cross out what doesn't apply. If I have to attach a loose cert, I use custom certs I created in Word. They are each for male, female, and multiple signers - this greatly reduces fraud (at least the notarization part).
A few weeks ago, I received a GNW call to notarize for a couple. Informed the caller that both signers need to bring a current DL, state ID card, or passport, and have the doc filled out but not signed. Only one of them showed up to the coffee shop, but both had signed the doc. Said they had already signed the doc before calling me.
I asked if their spouse was coming and they said NO. The person wondered why I wasn't notarizing both signatures. I informed that person of the point of notarizing - that ALL signers need to appear before me and be ID'd. I said that their spouse could get their signature notarized by another notary who will attached a separate cert. The doc had an ack with it, a separate page - an all-purpose one printed from the SOS website. I completed my custom ack for the person appearing before me. On my certs, the line is shortened so it would be a very tight squeeze to put in more than one name. And being that the language in the ack is for a ONE signer, that would reveal an obvious alteration of the cert if another name were added.
If I have a signer with an unusually long name, I have back-up certs for that. So far, 99% of names have fit in my custom certs. I sensed the lone signer was very disappointed that I used my own cert instead of the one included. My intuition told me that the signers planned for one of them to appear before a notary, then they'd just write in the other person's name. Maybe the other spouse didn't have ID or they wanted to save ten bucks. No proof of that, but I had a very STRONG suspicion that's what they were up to.
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Reply by JanetK_CA on 11/4/12 4:49pm
Msg #442148
Good example of why it's a very good idea to make the certs gender and singular/plural specific, regardless of what state law requires. I have always done so - not because of any state law (I don't think it's even addressed) - but because I think it's a good notarial practice. We've read several tales here from notaries who have looked up recorded documents and found someone's name having been added to their certificate. This is flat out fraud!
In the situation that Lisa was referring to, the notary has no way of knowing whose signatures were on that document. The other signature could have been put there by anyone and the actual person named in the document might not have any knowledge of what it was all about. That's at the very heart of why a document is notarized to begin with!
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