Notarize it.... 'cuz I said so, that's why!!

Wow, I am from NY and I always worked under the impression that I was only proving that the signature on a piece of paper was genuine.  So, I watch the person sign in my presence, I ask for ID, I make sure everything matches and I'm done.  I've got to check the NYS laws.  I even go so far as to tell people, "My notary doesn't mean that every word on that document is a lie, it only means tht you are the one who signed it.  I don't care who it is for, what it's about or what you want to do with it so long as you sign in my presence, show me qualified ID and then hit the road."

Interesting piece.  Thank you for posting it.

David

I got a phone call today and the person asked if I could assist in filling out a CA Quit Claim Deed.

I told him I couldn't and he said thanks and he never called back. Surprise

Shannon,

I am glad you stood your ground...the ruling is the same in PA...no blank documents are to be notarized and you must refuse.  The other day, a guy from Pakinstan requested that I notarize copies of his birth certificates, marriage license and other pertinent documents.  He just want me to stamp it and he would be on his way.  I had to inform him that I could not do that...certificates were needed and some documents I could not do notarize because PA state guildlines do not permit me to...like the birth certificate and marriage licenses.  The guy became hostile and stated that he had it done before.  So, I had to decline because I was not going to lay my license on the line for him.  He called me back to report  that he got a notary on his job to do it....all I could think was how unfortunate that there are some notaries that do not know what they can and can't do.  It is very important that we know our state guidelines and the risks involved if we do not comply with the guidelines. 

I think for the most part the general public doesn't understand just what a CA Notary Public can do?

Most of the time if you asked someone from the public who wanted a document notarized, they think if we sign our name and place our seal on a document, then the document is notarized.

NOT TRUE!

Shannon, Thats good of you to stand your ground and go by the rules. Some people have no clue just what a notaries job is.

Kudos to you for standing for what is right.   You are also correct that a great many notaries are practicing without knwing the rules.  This is partly why the public doesn't understand what we do.   We are suppose to be the defense against fraudulant documents, but if a notary is notarizing a blank document, how can it be determined if there is fraud???

Absolutely right thing to do!  I never notarize any document that has blanks or is incomplete.  Great post by the way.

It is interesting that the reference to blank spaces contained in documents was REMOVED from the Michigan Notary Public Act. 

It seems to me, as a notary public but NOT as an attorney (i.e. purely conversational opinion here) that MI's change reflected the fact that a notarization does not speak to the validity or truthfulness of a documents contents - only to the identity of the signer, the signer's willingness to sign - and (if a jurat) the SIGNER'S affirmation to the truthfulness of the document.

This retraction of the need for all blank spaces to be filled definitely had a huge impact on the one snag we dealt with, specific to mortgages - the ever-missing legal description, which is generally attached after the signing, but prior to recording by the title agent.