|
SERVICES
Escrows, Offers, Reconveyance, Loan Applications...
Millions of documents are prepared, signed and submitted for processing or filing throughout the US everyday… reflecting many business transactions:
Real estate deeds, automobile titles, loan applications, buy/sell agreements, applications for visas or college admission, credit applications, business licenses, service contracts are but a few of the many papers that need to be notarized.
Billions of dollars are at stake in these transactions.
Relying upon signatures poses increasing risks because the incidence of fraud by forgery or false identification continues to grow in our country. Proof of signature authenticity on business or legal records is more and more important for protection against fraud.
Notarization of signatures is often essential to the "due diligence" and "standard of care" of the parties to ensure the integrity of the documents. By law, many transactions require signatures to be notarized.
A properly notarized document follows a sequence of steps to insure its validity and eliminate any challenges that may occur should the transaction end up in litigation. The steps to proper notarization include:
- a personal appearance by those signing the document(s)
- a complete review of the document to insure that all spaces are filled in (no blank spaces) and no "white out" corrections exist
- if any mistakes are detected, they are lined out and the lined out text is initialed
- the notarial certificate is completed and registered in the book
- the Notary seal is affixed to the document and the Notary signs their name exactly as it appears on the seal
How did the practice of notarizing documents get started?
The notary public dates back to ancient Roman times when only a few could read or write. A "Notarius" was appointed by public authority as a public official to create written documents of agreement or wills and to hold them for safekeeping.
Wax seals with individualized engravings or symbols were used as signatures at the end of written agreements. In later centuries, ribbons were woven into holes placed in the margin of multiple page documents to tie the pages together. Wax seals were placed over the knots to ensure no pages were added nor removed. This was the birth of the notary seal and certificate.
In Colonial America, persons of high moral character were appointed as public notaries to certify and keep documents safe.
Today, Notary Publics and the practice of notarizing key business documents is a standard procedure for business transactions. Insuring that your Notary follows defined practices is important to the integrity of those transactions.
|
