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November 2, 2016

How can I get a Spanish language document notarized?

Filed under: Public Interest — Tags: , , , — admin @ 10:48 pm

How can I get a Spanish language document notarized?
Some states require that the Notary Public understand the contents of the document. If a document is in Spanish, then some states would require the Notary to be able to read the document in Spanish, etc. Other states require that the Notary speak the language of the signer so that they could have direct communication without the necessity of a translator.

How do I get a Spanish language document notarized?
How do you get a Spanish document notarized? On 123notary.com, you can find Notaries in any state that can notarize any type of document for you including foreign language documents. Just visit the advanced search page and look up by zip code.

California requires direct communication
In California, the Notary must be able to communicate directly with the signer. So, if the signer only speaks Spanish, please make sure your Notary speaks impeccable Spanish.

Immigration Questions
Notaries are not permitted to assist or advise in immigration matters unless they are specifically authorized to do so. Please direct your immigration questions to the proper authorities.

Notaries are generally not Attorneys
Please do not confuse the office of Notary Public with powers associated with Attorneys. In Latin America, a Notario Publico has an elevated position that is similar in many ways to being an Attorney, while in the United States, Notaries can only notarize documents, give Oaths, and not give legal advice. So, please direct your legal questions to a licensed Attorney.

Drafting Documents
Please do not rely on a Notary to draft your documents for you. Notaries are generally not authorized to draft legal documents or advise you on how to draft them. Please have a legal support center or Attorney draft your documents before calling a Notary.

Find a Notary on 123notary.com!
Just visit the advanced search page on 123notary.com and look up by city, county, or zip code. Then, use the Spanish language filter at the top of the search results to filter your results.

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How do I find a Spanish speaking notary?
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Identification requirements for being notarized
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Find a Notary Public on 123notary!
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September 11, 2016

How do I get a foreign language document notarized?

Filed under: Technical & Legal — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 9:16 pm

How do I get an international document notarized?
How do I get a foreign language document notarized?

This is a tricky point in Notary law. The answer is that it depends on what state you are living in. California requires the Notary to be able to communicate directly with the signer which means you need to know the same language well enough to communicate. However, California doesn’t require the Notary to understand the document. Other states might require the Notary to understand the entire document.

The Main Function is to Identify the Signer
The main function of a Notary Public is not to understand the document, but make sure the intended signer is mentioned in the document and is the person actually signing the document. The Notary uses identification documents to identify the signer. Normally a drivers license or passport is used to identify the signer.

Find Out Your State’s Rules
Most states allow notarizing foreign language documents if the Notary doesn’t know the particular foreign language. To find out your state’s rules for whether or not the Notary has to understand the document, you can visit your state’s notary division’s website. Many state notary websites omit critical information about many Notary procedures. So, if your state doesn’t specifically say that you can’t notarize a foreign language document, then it is up to your interpretation. However, the certificate for the notarization (which could be a loose form stapled to the document) must be in English and using wording identical or similar in content to your state’s official notary wording.

Direct Communication with the Signer
Some states allow the use of interpreters during a notarization for the Notary to communicate with the signer. It is not safe to do this as the interpreter could make a mistake or deliberately mislead the signer which could lead to trouble down the road. Even if your state doesn’t require direct communication with the signer, I recommended just to be on the safe side.

You might also like:

Notarizing your foreign language document! (Ken’s guide)
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2768

10 tight points on loose certificates
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15449

What is a Notary Public?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6498

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January 29, 2016

Pastor Notary – can you Pastorize a document?

Filed under: Humorous Posts — Tags: , , — admin @ 1:08 pm

We have many Notaries on 123notary who are members of the clergy. I always wonder when we will get a good Rabbi who can specialize in Kosher notarizations. But, I don’t think that the laws of Judaism discuss notarial acts just as long as you don’t notarize false gods or golden bulls. But, if Judaism did, I wonder what kind of picky rules they would have. In any case, we have many Christian clergymen who are in the Notary business. The perform marriages, and do general Notary work as well.

One borrower found it nice to have a member of the clergy at his signing. He had been waiting his entire life to say something to a clergyman during a signing. “Forgive me father, for I have rescinded!”

But, my question (sorry to sound tongue and cheek) is if these religious types only notarize documents, can they Pastorize a document as well? And if so, what would the Pastorization process be like. Would they plant some grass on the document to make it more like a pasture? Add a few cows? Or cook it briefly to kill the germs. Or would they make tacos al pastor? I guess the world will never know. But, if you ever come across a Pastor Notary, as him/her/them and relay what you learned to us over here at 123notary. We’re dying to know.

.

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You know you’re a Notary when…
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http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15994

Can a notary be an officiate at a wedding or marriage?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18907

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December 16, 2014

A forged document vs. a forged notary seal?

Filed under: Legal Issues,Popular on Facebook (A little),Technical & Legal — Tags: , , — admin @ 7:25 am

What if the document was forged.
Imagine that you are a notary public who just got in huge trouble for notarizing a forged document. It is not your responsibility to know that the document was forged. It is only your responsibility to know that the person who was documented as signing the document appeared before you, proved their identity, and signed the document before you notarized it.

Forged Identification
Or what if the ID used for the notarization was forged? You can still take journal thumbprints and that can get you off the legal hook a lot faster if you keep a record of those thumbprints. But, what about a forged notary seal?

E&O won’t help unless you made an error.
Some notaries think that since they have Errors & Omissions insurance that they will be covered. But, does E&O cover legal expenses? The real problem is that E&O will probably say that the notary didn’t make any errors — it was someone else who forged their seal. Therefore it is a criminal matter, and the notary in question is not at fault — providing you can prove that the notary seal indeed was forged.

If your notary seal was forged, how would you prove it?
My notary seal’s impression was copied onto an Acknowledgment form. The notary’s handwriting on the form didn’t match mine at all and they didn’t cross out the his/her/their or the (s) on the certificate either proving that they were not me, and most likely not a notary (at least not a good notary.) If the borders on the seal don’t match yours, that is another clue. If you don’t have a journal entry of the transaction, that might void the notarization entirely in certain states — not sure what the law says about that one. But, it could constitute proof that you didn’t do the notarization in question if there is no journal entry, assuming that you always keep a sequential journal entry of all notarial transactions.

What if you are sued?
Unfortunately, as a notary, if you are sued for fraud, or being involved with fraud, you could lose $20,000 in legal expenses only to be proven innocent. You lose, even if you win. E&O insurance won’t protect you if you are not at fault. So, if you are falsely accused because someone else did fraud including a seal forger, a corrupt Title Officer, or someone else, you can get in big trouble. It is best to try to reason with the plaintiff and prove to them through whatever evidence that you have that you are not one of the parties to be blamed. You can also tell them that you will counter sue for legal expenses and time lost if proven not guilty.

Identifying the fraud
One of the issues in catching a fraudulent impostor notary is that they are hard to catch. The only people who have seen them would be notary customers. Those customers would have found the person’s number online or in the yellow pages or through a referral. Notary clients very rarely check the ID of the notary, so the notary could be an impostor and get away with it for a while without being caught. But, why would an impostor notarize many people. Chances are that the impostor notary would be well acquainted with the individual who forged loan documents, or could be the same person which means that nobody would see him or catch him. If he forged the signature of the borrower as well, then it gets very complicated. Three forgeries in one! If they forge a notary seal, the forged seal might have the name of a real notary on it. In such a case, the real notary would be able to prove through his journal that he never notarized that forged document. Additionally, the forger would have to not only forge the signature of the borrower, but also of that particular notary which would require quite some skill. I always used an embosser that left a raised seal in the document. A fraud would have to be pretty clever to forge my seal and my embosser and use it like I did — and in the one case where my seal was forged, they didn’t have the brains to do it correctly and got caught (but, not necessarily prosecuted – or at least I was not informed of what happened after the fact.)

.

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Fraud & Forgery related to the Notary Profession
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2294

An absurd forgery of MY notarization
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Facial recognition techniques can help you spot fake ID
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20242

Penalties for notary misconduct and fraud
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21315

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October 19, 2013

Notarized Document Expired Identification

Filed under: Identification For Being Notarized — admin @ 8:18 am

Using expired identification cards

As a notary public, you will be bombarded with various types of identification — some will be current, some expired, some foreign, and some forged.

Expired ID? Check the issue date!
Some states allow an ID to be used for a particular number of years after the issue date. Many identification cards will document the issue date somewhere on the ID even if they don’t say what that date is. You can kind of guess what that date represents because it is not their birth date or expiration date. Using expired identification cards might be legal in particular states. California and Tennessee allow a notary to use an ID within five years of its origination date / date of issue.

Check your state’s notary handbook to find out the current laws in your state regarding what types of identification are legitimate in your state! Using expired ID cards just might be okay just as long as they are not “too old”.

If you cannot get identification that is acceptable in your state, many states allow the use of credible witnesses that can swear to the identity of the signer. Those witnesses are normally friends, relatives, hall mates, or neighbors of the signer.

You might also like:

What’s your sign? A technique for spotting false ID.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19638

Credible Witnesses – the ins and outs
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19634

Notary Public 101 – Identification
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19507

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April 28, 2013

Best Practices: When it is legal to notarize a document twice?

Filed under: Best Practices,Ninja Theme Articles — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 8:29 am

Q. When is it legal to notarize twice?

A. Any time you get two journal entries for the document in question and attach two separate certificates.

How is this?

Many notaries fall into unfortunate circumstances. We live in a day and age when old fashioned common sense is not a part of life any more — at least not in the Title industry. A notary will be given an Acknowledgment form with wording that just isn’t acceptable. Perhaps the venue is for a different county or state. Perhaps there are two names on the Acknowledgment when there is only one signer — and a cross out will just look funny. Maybe something else will be wrong. Use your imagination here — you are notaries!

So, should you cross-out Jim’s name on the Acknowledgment form since only Jane is there and Jim is on a business trip? Or should you attach an additional acknowledgment form and leave the original blank? The issue here is much more than what the law says. The law doesn’t address cross outs to my knowledge although it definately seems that it is not a “best practice” since it looks dubious and possibly fraudulent.

Do you really want your notarized documents to look tampered with? That is what notarizing a document with a cross-out looks like. Sure you do it all the time, but what if fraud really is involved and you get called into court just because you think it is fine and dandy to simply, “cross out and initial — I do it all the time”. Well, stop doing it all the time on notarized documents. It is a “worst practice”, not a best practice. Best practices include starting fresh with a clean acknowledgment and filling out properly with not only the state required wording, but also a document name, document date, document description, number of pages, etc. If you are smart, you will emboss every page on every document that you notarize whether the clients like it or not — for your protection. It makes page swapping after the fact very noticeable and detectable.

So, I recommend the fresh acknowledgment approach since it is clean and a best practice. But, on the other hand, what about notarizing the document twice and giving the lender a choice of the messy cross-out version, or the clean attached version. Some lenders HATE attachments (even though it is legal and kosher). Many lenders do not mind cross-outs even though it is abominable to anyone with standards. So, if you give them a choice, at least they will have less cause to be unhappy. They will know that you went above and beyond for them.

However, you will be committing fraud if you send a loose acknowledgment in the mail to the lender who doesn’t like your first attempt. Sure you already notarized it, but now there are two certificates floating around and not attached. The “best practice” here is to tell the lender you need the original back, you shred the certificate, add another certificate, and then send it back. Lenders don’t typically like best practices because it takes longer. Fraud is easier! But, don’t even think about it.

I will end this entry with a quote from a Yiddish folk story

Crime doesn’t pay, but oy, such good hours!

I will end this entry a second time, but this time with a line from a Mexican folk song about notarizations

Dos Acknowledmentos Un Documento?
Ay que paso en esta mundo?
Que voy aser con esta notario?
Llama el telefono a el Loan Officer por favor!

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August 27, 2012

Notarizing Documents for the Elderly

Filed under: California_Notary,Popular on Twitter 2012,Power of Attorney — Tags: , , , , , , , — admin @ 10:14 am

Notarizing for the elderly: Making a difference

Notarizing documents for the elderly can sometimes be a precarious task. At best, it can also be very rewarding, a chance to save senior citizens from poor medical or financial decisions. Some of our notaries have recently done a great service by scrupulously looking out for this fragile population and speaking out in order to protect them.

A California notary tells us, “I was going to a signing, and I really didn’t have any information about the borrower. The caregiver for the elderly man answered the door, and said ‘Are you aware that Mr. Jones has Alzheimer’s? He thinks you are here to give him $3000. He was cleaning the house all night to impress you.’ Apparently, someone had called him from an Internet company and had gotten him to do the loan. The care attendant said she would have to call the man’s son. I left the loan documents with the man, and immediately called the loan officer. I said, ‘This man’s son has a power of attorney. If I hear of this man signing these documents himself, I will turn you in.’ I never heard from them again,” sighs the California notary, who knows to this day she provided an unanticipated service for Mr. Jones.

Another California notary from Oakland tells a similar story: he came to notarize a refinance, but the woman who owned the home did not want to sign. It turned out that the ‘relative’ who was claiming to have a valid power of attorney was not even related to the homeowner…but had somehow persuaded the lender that she had a POA–and was planning to drain $20,000 from the home and then put the woman in a nursing home. The notary got a bad feeling about all this when he first called to confirm the signing. The old woman confided in the notary her unwillingness to sign, and the notary, on a hunch, called the authorities. They arrested the “relative”…and an actual relative was called upon to assist. Luckily, the equity in the home remained intact, and our notary was very pleased. “It was just lucky that I realized what was going on,” he says, “and made the call. Some people might say it wasn’t any of my business. A notary actually is taken quite seriously as a ‘reporter’ in cases like this. I was glad I did what I did,” says our California notary.

“One man thought he was getting back $400 more on his loan than he actually did. When we went over the paperwork, he actually started crying. I was able to explain things to him, but he chose to call the lender and delay the closing…although he did end up closing that week. The lender did something for him, made some deal with him that made him feel better. Many elderly people feel they are being taken advantage of, and many are in a position of weakness. I see a lot of happy, wealthy elderly, some who own several houses in several parts of the country. I also see a lot of poor people who are elderly and who never recovered from 2008,” says one Hawaii notary with relatives in California. “We are trying to do more to protect them.”

A Hawaii notary in Honolulu who does a lot of notary work with the elderly tells us, “Sometimes at a hospital signing I have to determine whether or not the person knows what he or she is signing. I ask the person’s name and I keep asking questions. If the person does not know what he or she is signing, I leave.” Our astute young Hawaii notary adds, “There are lots of times there is a doubt as to the competence of the person, and you really have to be very sure. Your have to protect their interests. That is why it is good that California, for instance, just passed a new law regarding notarizing a power of attorney.” [see blog June 3 2012 “A New California Notary Law”]

Tweets:
(1) Notarizing documents for the elderly can sometimes be a precarious task; at best very rewarding
(2) “Are you aware that Mr. Jones (the signer) has Alzeimers? He thinks ur here to give him $3000!”
(3) Many elderly signers feel they are being taken advantage of, and that they have a weakness.

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Power of Attorney at a nursing home
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Dragging the person’s arm: A signing for an elderly woman
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=610

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May 4, 2012

Notarizing your foreign language document!

Filed under: Ken Edelstein,Legal Issues,Popular on Twitter 2012,Technical & Legal — Tags: , , — admin @ 5:35 am

Notarizing your Foreign Language Document

“The bank refused to notarize the document because it is written in Hungarian”, said the exasperated client to me. “No Problem” for http://kenneth-a-edelstein.com was my reply. There is no requirement for the New York notary to be able to read the document, none whatsoever. Consider a 765 page document regarding the sale of a Supertanker – do you think the notary will read it prior to notarizing the signature on the last page? Well, if they are not going to read all pages of all documents – why would they want to be able to read some pages of some documents? I doubt if I will ever know.

There are some interesting considerations regarding languages involved in the notarization process. But none have anything to do with the actual document. The main language requirements in New York are related to the required oath given by the notary. The notary must be able to give the oath directly (no interpreter allowed) to the person whose signature will be notarized. The person signing must be able to read the document in order to swear/affirm that the document is truthful/correct. That is the relevant language consideration – the document could be in Braille or Latvian – it does not matter to me.

Part of some NYC notaries’ refusal to handle this situation is their employer’s desire to avoid the possibility of being involved in a lawsuit. Some Manhattan banks will not notarize a Power of Attorney, some refuse a Bill of Sale – the reasons are the same; avoiding being involved in
litigation. If the notary can’t read any of the document it “might” be a prohibited (by “bank” policy) – thus all “unreadable” documents are often refused. At http://newyorkmobilenotarypublic.com that is never the case.

It is a “best practice” to prepare foreign language documents in both languages. Most times this is done by formatting the document into two columns with English on one side and the other language on the other. One advantage of doing this is that it allows the affiant to sign twice. The signature on the English side will be compared to their ID – the other language is not. Thus, it is the English signature that is being notarized – and most ID documents in this country have English signatures.

Tweets:
(1) No problem – there is no requirement for the notary to be able to read the document (written in Hungarian)
(2) The notary must be able to give an Oath w/direct communication w/affiant (no interpreter allowed)

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Where can I find a Chinese speaking notary?

A California Notary Acknowledgment Goes to Taiwan!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6981

How do I get a foreign language document notarized?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18788

Where can I find a Spanish speaking Notary?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18824

Apostille Information
http://blog.123notary.com/?s=apostille

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April 26, 2012

Can a notary also witness documents being signed?

Filed under: Popular on Twitter 2012,Technical & Legal,Witnessing — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 11:44 am

Q. Can a notary also witness documents being signed?
A.  Any individual over the age of 18 can be a witness to a document signing or Will signing.
 
Q.  Can a notary charge for acting as a witness?
A.  If acting as a witness is an official notary act in the state where the notary is commissioned or acting, then they can charge whatever their state’s maximum appointed fee is.  In all other states where witnessing is not an official notary act, then the notary can charge whatever the client will agree to.
 
Q.  Should I hire a notary to act as a witness?
A.  You can if you like, but unless you need some special documentation done, that only a notary can perform, there is no real need to have a notary around.
 
Q. Can you recommend some more detailed reading materials about this topic?
A.  Yes, please read:  Can a notary be a witness?

Q. When is a Notary required to witness signatures?
A. Jurat Notarizations require the Notary to have the signer sign before them. A handful of states require the Notary to witness Acknowledged signatures as well.

Tweets:
(1) Any individual over 18 can witness documents being signed, including a Notary Public.
(2) Can a notary charge for acting as a witness? Yes, but your state might have a maximum charge.

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March 23, 2012

Notarization Dates, Document Dates & Signature Dates!

Filed under: Loan Signing 101,Popular on Facebook (shares),Popular on Facebook (some),Popular Overall 2012,SEO,Signing Tips — Tags: , , , , , , , , — admin @ 4:26 am

We had this question as a Facebook competition question. It was fun, but we got too many wrong answers which is a little bit disconcerting.  There are different dates you have to be aware of as a notary. Some are more important than others, and each date has its own function.
 
Signature Dates
The date the signer signs the document is the signature date of the particular signature.  There are cases when a husband and wife will sign the same document, but on different dates.  People are busy, and two notaries could handle the same paperwork on two separate days with two separate signers.  Those split signings are tricky, and are more likely to have to be redrawn.  But, just as long as you get paid, don’t stress!
 
Notarization Dates
The date you notarize someone’s signature is the notarization date.  The date corresponds to the signature, not the document.  A document could be signed by more than one party on different dates.  Or an addendum could be added and signed on another date as well.  Its complicated.
 
Document Dates
This is the question that 90% of the notaries got wrong.  I had very few choices of contestants to put in the drawing to win Starbucks!  The document date is NOT necessarily the date the document was drawn up, although it usually is.  It generally should not be dated after the signing to avoid confusion.  It is often dated the day the signing is intended to happen on, and is often dated the day it was drawn, or sometime in between.  There is no rule governing when the document date can be.  The function of this date is to be an identifying mark on the document to distinguish it from other documents.  Of course, if you have ten documents all entitled, “Affidavit“, to be signed by the same two parties, and all having the same document date, it really doesn’t narrow it down.
 
Your Journal
If you live in a state that doesn’t require journals, please don’t read this paragraph.  Actually, do read it, and get a journal anyway.  Your journal of official notarial acts is your record of all notary acts that you have done in your commission. It is evidence if you ever have to go to court, or if you are ever questioned about a particular act. It adds to the integrity of the notarization and safeguards against fraud, especially when you take thumbprints for all documents (optional, but recommended).   If a fraudulent notarization takes place with someone impostering you, without your journal, you will never have proof that you didn’t notarize that person. Journals keep records in sequential order, so you can go back to July 3rd, 2003, and see that you indeed never notarized Shelly Deeds and her Deed.
 
Backdating
In your career, you will most likely eventually be asked to put a fraudulent date on your notarial certificate which is refered to as backdating. This is illegal, and you can lose your commission as a result, if you get caught.  A lender might need you to date the certificate for the 27th, when its the 28th, so that the borrowers can keep their lock. Its their problem, don’t get involved.  Lose the client and keep out of jail! Please see our blog article entitled “Backdating from A to Z”

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A lady lost a great account because she wouldn’t backdate!
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Leave a few spaces open in your journal

The transaction date = the signature date: Feb 2013 Phoninar
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4054

How do I fill out a journal entry?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=1725

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