I have been a notary since June 2021 and I have came across some documents needing to be notarized with unfamiliar verbiage. For example, I am completing an acknowledgment certification which reads ‘ John Doe who is personally known to me or has produced a drivers license as identification, and furthermore, the forementioned person has acknowledged that his/her signature was his/her free and voluntarily act for the purpose it forward in this instrument and that he she, be an authorized to do so, executed the foregoing for the consideration, uses and purposes here in contain, by signing on behalf of the corporation/business entity by himself/herself as _________. I am not sure what to put on this line. It was an individual but somehow they’re talking about a corporation. Can your best guess would you put designers name on this line.
I would like through the part that states " by signing on behalf of the corporation/business entity by himself/herself as _________. " and initial - provided you’re positive they’re not acting on behalf of a corporation or LLC or some other business entity.
What is he signing? Loan? Refi? Purchase? Seller?
It was a warranty deed.
You must be sure the verbiage is in compliance with your state’s notary law. If it’s not, add your own certificate.
To be on the safe side, I would clarify that with the title Co first.
If I might add 1 more thing… Where it says, " …for the purpose it forward in this instrument…", Please be sure that there is a page number on this certificate that’s in correlation to the preceding pages of the Warranty Deed.
Just my opinion, if the pages are not numbered and there’s no specific reference to what document this certificate is attached to, I would not be comfortable because it can be used in correlation with any other document.
Always be sure the certificate references the document or the pages are numbered.
Concurred. It is good to have on hand some acknowledgment and jurat certificates for individual and corporation.
No answer is possible without knowing what state granted you a notary commission.
Any chance the phrase from the document really says “the purpose put forward in this instrument” instead of “the purpose it forward in this instrument”?
If it turns out the form is lawful in your state, and if the signer is signing as some sort of representative, such as trustee, attorney in fact, president, etc., then you would put the appropriate title in the blank (trustee, attorney in fact, president, etc.). IF the form is lawful in your state, you should check with the title company and signer to find out what goes in the blank.
Thank you guys for your help. I did call the title company and because the client was not a corporation, I was told to put the clients name on it.
Good job! Always call the title people first! For this particular case you could use the individual acknowledgmen if you had one on you that pertains to your state:)
I always cross this full last line out pertaining to the business enity and I initial the cross out. I feel if they do not have a company that are acting in behalf of, its not relevant to the signing or best practice to have them sign they are acting on behalf of a business. All signings have closed successfully with my crossing this part out.
Just to note, I have been asked to do many things by the title company that are not legal in my state, therefore the title company does not always have our legal liability in mind.
Also, I have receieved several acknowledgements from the title companies that state the signer “is personally known to be such person” and no additional verbiage. I always cross it out and add "satisfactorily proven to be " in these cases. Best bet, always call NNA when in doubt on the legality for your state.
In CA, we attach our general ack or jurat certificate naming the individual as we do not notarize persons by a business or business title. We have no way to verify if someone is a trustee or CEO.