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Signing the 4506T

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Mobile Notary Services

The question was raised: How should a husband and wife sign the 4506T?

I have done many closings in which both names appeared on the 4506T:

4506T - joint return

In this case, I have the primary borrower sign the top line, and the spouse sign the bottom line:

signatures on 4506T for joint return

What I sometimes see is that the lender will provide a separate 4506T for the spouse, in addition to the one that had both names on it:

4506T - spouse only

For this form, only one signature is required -- the person whose name appears on the document.  That person will sign two separate 4506Ts -- one for the joint return, and one for the individual form:

spouse signature only

If there are two separate 4506Ts (one for each borrower), then only one signature is required on each, and that signature will be for the person whose name is on the document.  I don't have the borrowers sign each other's 4506T as the spouse, if their names don't appear on it. Why should they?  There is only one social security number on it.

As a footnote: the form expires 60 days after it has been signed.

Comments (4)

Elizabeth Foust
Keller Williams Realty - Santa Rosa, CA

I have always had the spouse sign the 4506T whether there were individual ones or not.  I'm sure that it's ok not to have the spouse sign if there are two individual ones in the package, but I don't see what it could hurt. 

Dec 18, 2008 02:36 PM
Leon Austin
Mobile Notary Services - Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs Mobile Notary

I'm going to ammend this topic to add: "Follow lender instructions." 

 I had a closing yesterday and the 4506Ts had the signature lines highlighted.  (It was one of those companies that wants to make sure that everything gets signed only where they want signatures.

The husband and wife each had their own.  Only the husband's signature line was highlighted on his, and only the wife's signature line was highlighted on her's.

Elizabeth, if you have not been getting any calls to do it differently, then good.

 

Dec 18, 2008 07:05 PM
Elizabeth Foust
Keller Williams Realty - Santa Rosa, CA

Hi Leon,

Nope, I've always had the spouse sign and have never had anyone complain.  If I had a package highlighted as you did, I too would only have them sign what was highlighted. 

Dec 31, 2008 06:41 PM
Leon Austin
Mobile Notary Services - Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs Mobile Notary

Elizabeth, you don't have an argument from me.  The lenders apparently don't care if this document is oversigned.  It expires 60 days after it's signed anyway.

 

Dec 31, 2008 09:52 PM