A Texas Notary Public is a public servant with statewide jurisdiction who is authorized to take acknowledgments, protest instruments (as permitted by law to be protested), administer oaths, take depositions, and certify copies of documents not recordable in the public records.
The primary duty of a Notary Public is to show that an independent, disinterested party (the Notary Public) has declared that the signer’s identity and signature are genuine, and that the signer is willing and able to execute the document.
The signature and seal of a Notary Public do not prove these facts conclusively, but provide prima facie proof of them, and allow persons in trade and commerce to rely upon the truth and veracity of the Notary Public as a third party who has no personal interest in the transaction.
These are the 5 basic steps to performing a notarization and why a good Notary Public will carefully execute each step.
Personal appearance allows the Notary Public to complete other steps in a proper notarization.
There are three general methods;
It is during this phase of the process that a good Notary Public will be communicating with the signer(s) to make sure that they understand what they are signing and they are willing and able to sign the document.
If the Notary Public has reason to believe that the signer does not understand the document, is being coerced, or the document will be used for a fraudulent transaction, then (s)he should refuse to perform the notarial act.
A Notary Public is personally liable for negligence or fraud in the performance of the duties of the office. In order to be commissioned as a Notary Public, they must have at least a $10,000 bond on file with the Secretary of State. The bond is to insure that the person injured can recover at least $10,000.00, but this does not protect the Notary Public from personal liability for the full extent of damages caused by a breach of official duty. In addition to civil liability, Notaries Public may be subject to criminal prosecution and the revocation or suspension of their notary public commission by the Secretary of State's office. Most notaries will also carry Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance.
Tex. Gov't. Code Ann. § 406.024 sets out the maximum fees a Notary Public may charge for notary public services. A Notary Public who charges more than the maximum set by law, subjects the notary to possible criminal prosecution and suspension or revocation of the notary’s notary public commission by the Secretary of State's office.
Unlike Notaries in foreign countries, a Texas Notary Public is not an attorney, judge or high-ranking official. A Notary Public is not the same as a Notario Publico and these differences can be confusing for immigrants when they approach a Notary Public in this country. Notaries in the Texas should be very clear about what they can or cannot do to serve immigrants the right way and steer clear of notario issues.
I AM NOT AN ATTORNEY LICENSED TO PRACTICE LAW IN TEXAS AND MAY NOT GIVE LEGAL ADVICE OR ACCEPT FEES FOR LEGAL ADVICE.
I AM NOT AN ATTORNEY LICENSED TO PRACTICE LAW IN TEXAS AND MAY NOT GIVE LEGAL ADVICE OR ACCEPT FEES FOR LEGAL ADVICE.
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