Posted by LKT/CA on 10/2/12 4:34pm
Msg #436874

Interesting (possibly shady) GNW appt

This post is purposely gender neutral. Received a call to notarize for a husband and wife. Informed caller of fee and that both signers need to bring current DL, state ID card or passport. I no longer say "bring current ID" as people assume anything with their photo on it is good enough. Met at a coffee shop - one person shows up with the doc that's already signed by both parties. Cert was an all-purpose acknowledgment printed from the SOS website (I can tell) though nothing is wrong with that.

I ask where the other signer is. They say they're not here...<well, I could see that>. The customer assumed I would just notarize both signatures even though only they were present. I informed the customer that the whole purpose of notarizing is to ID the signer and watch them sign the doc so the other person can get their signature notarized later. In CA, an acknowledgment can be pre-signed, though I inform customers it's preferred they wait to sign in the notary's presence.

Ummmm, my instincts told me that they planned to add the other signer's name to the acknowledgment and save ten bucks. However, my acks are customized....separate one for male/female and multiple signers. I also reduced the line for the signer's name - so a name added would have to be crammed in. The customer thanked me for meeting with them but I could tell they were disappointed when I used my own cert instead of the one included.

Reply by Gregory/CA on 10/2/12 4:51pm
Msg #436884

Yowza. I would've done the same as you. Good job. n/m

Reply by dgd/CA on 10/2/12 5:34pm
Msg #436891

Good for you. My instincts would have gone in the same direction as yours...I would have done the very same thing.... Particularly as you indicated Both had to be there and bring their DL or Passports. :-)

Reply by Virginia/PA on 10/2/12 11:04pm
Msg #436921

That can happen in a split signing when one party is signing in one state and the other in another state but the forms come through with both signature lines and only one signs in my presence. I always say in my notary certificate that ...appeared before me John Doe only. So even though there's a blank line with Jane Doe's name on it, no one can accidentally assume I notarized Jane Doe's signature also.

Reply by Luckydog on 10/3/12 10:50am
Msg #436979

If the other signature was already notarized, no problem. If signed and NOT notarized, I would have called title and refused to even get involved with that. Title could get it back and just stamp the other signature, and the whole thing would still be illegal, thus, I wouldn't mess with it personally.