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Can I Use A Notary Certificate That Lacks Some Required Wording?

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I was asked to perform an acknowledgment on a document that had some of the required wording but not all. Can I still notarize if I complete and attach a certificate with the full correct wording?R.Z., California

There are a couple of ways to answer this question. If the document was to be filed or recorded in California, yes, you could take the acknowledgment if you attached a California acknowledgment certificate with the full and complete wording. If the document was to be filed in another U.S. state or jurisdiction, it’s possible you could have signed the acknowledgment certificate as is.

Hotline answers are based on the laws in the state where the question originated and may not reflect the laws of other states. If in doubt, always refer to your own state statutes. – The Editors

Confronted with a tricky notarization? Unsure how to proceed? NNA members have unlimited access to our expertly trained NNA Hotline counselors to help you with all of your notarial questions. Call 1-888-876-0827, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. PST; Saturday, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST.

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Max Thomas

11 Jul 2017

What advice do you have on what to do when the signer wants to read every page of every real estate document (including documents not being notarized, but to be signed) of a 179 page package that would take 4 to 6 hours, at least and spill into the next day at midnight. This is a true story. I could not contact the lender and title company representatives because of after hours. I terminated the closing after 30 minutes and one 2 page non notarized document being read by the signer. I explained this to my client the next day and was paid and my referrals have continued.

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