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Nobody enjoys driving across town twice for the same signature. But it happens more than you'd think, and almost always for reasons that are easy to head off before you ever sit down.
The big one is ID. I need a current, government-issued photo ID that matches the name on the document. If your driver's license expired last month, or the document says "Robert" and your ID says "Bob," we've got a problem before we start. It's not me being difficult — a notary who looks past that isn't doing the job. Second: don't sign it ahead of time. People mean well. They fill everything out at the kitchen table to save a few minutes. But part of what I'm doing is witnessing the signature, which means it has to happen in front of me. A pre-signed page usually has to be redone. Third, blanks. If the form has empty fields where information should be, that's a loose end. Either fill them in or draw a line through them so nothing can be added later. A notarized document with open blanks is an invitation for trouble down the road. Fourth, the document itself needs notarial wording — the little block that says where this was signed and who appeared. You'd be surprised how many forms people bring me that don't actually have anywhere for a notary to act. If yours doesn't, that's a quick fix, but better to know before the appointment. And fifth: everyone who signs has to be there. If the document needs two signatures, I need two people with two IDs in the same room. I can't notarize for someone who "is just running late" or "will sign later." None of this is complicated. Bring a valid ID, leave the signature blank, fill in or cross out the empty spots, and make sure everyone who needs to sign shows up. Do that and you're in and out in a few minutes. Comments are closed.
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AuthorRick Puente is the founder of South TX Notary, LLC. Categories
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