2007 Legislation
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SENATE BILL NO. 1059 – Written instruments, acknowledgment

SENATE BILL NO. 1059

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S1059................................................by JUDICIARY AND RULES
WRITTEN INSTRUMENTS - Amends and adds to existing law relating to
acknowledgments of written instruments to provide for the certification of
the affixation of a signature by mark; to provide for a signature by a
notary for a person physically unable to sign or make a mark; to provide
for a certificate of acknowledgment by a person signing by mark; and to
provide for a certificate of acknowledgment by a person physically unable
to sign or make a mark.
                                                                        
01/29    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
01/30    Rpt prt - to Jud

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-ninth Legislature                   First Regular Session - 2007
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                       IN THE SENATE
                                                                        
                                    SENATE BILL NO. 1059
                                                                        
                              BY JUDICIARY AND RULES COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO ACKNOWLEDGMENTS OF WRITTEN INSTRUMENTS; AMENDING  SECTION  51-109,
  3        IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF THE AFFIXATION OF A SIGNA-
  4        TURE BY MARK AND TO PROVIDE FOR A SIGNATURE BY A NOTARY FOR A PERSON PHYS-
  5        ICALLY  UNABLE TO SIGN OR MAKE A MARK; AMENDING CHAPTER 7, TITLE 55, IDAHO
  6        CODE, BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 55-712A, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE FOR
  7        A CERTIFICATE OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT BY A PERSON SIGNING BY MARK; AND  AMENDING
  8        CHAPTER 7, TITLE 55, IDAHO CODE, BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 55-712B,
  9        IDAHO  CODE,  TO  PROVIDE  FOR A CERTIFICATE OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT BY A PERSON
 10        PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO SIGN OR MAKE A MARK.
                                                                        
 11    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
 12        SECTION 1.  That Section 51-109, Idaho Code, be, and the  same  is  hereby
 13    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 14        51-109.  FORMS FOR NOTARIAL ACTS. (1) Certificates of acknowledgment shall
 15    substantially  conform  to  the  forms  set  forth  in sections 55-710 through
 16    55-715, Idaho Code.
 17        (2)  An oath or affirmation, which is in writing, shall be signed  by  the
 18    person  who  takes  it,  and the notary public shall enter thereunder substan-
 19    tially the following:
 20        "State of Idaho     )
 21                            )ss.
 22        County of .....     )
 23        Subscribed and sworn (or affirmed) before me this ..... day of ..........,
 24        ....."
 25                                 ....................(official signature and seal)
 26        (3)  An oath or affirmation administered verbally by a notary public shall
 27    be in substantially the following form:
 28        "You do solemnly swear (or affirm) that the testimony you  shall  give  in
 29        the  matter  in issue shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but
 30        the truth." The person who takes the  oath  or  affirmation  must  respond
 31        affirmatively.
 32        (4)  A  certificate  of  verification  of  an  instrument shall follow the
 33    maker's signature and shall identify the notary public and  certify  that  the
 34    maker  personally  appeared,  was  sworn,  stated his authority for making the
 35    instrument, and averred the truth of the statements therein. For example,  the
 36    verification  of  a corporate document by an officer of the corporation should
 37    be in substantially the following form:
 38        "State of Idaho     )
 39                            )ss.
 40        County of .....     )
 41             I, ...................., a notary public, do hereby certify  that  on
 42        this  .....  day  of  ..........,  .....,  personally  appeared  before me
 43        ............., who, being by me first duly sworn, declared that he is  the
                                                                        
                                       2
                                                                        
  1        ............  of  .........................,  that he signed the foregoing
  2        document as .......... of the corporation, and that the statements therein
  3        contained are true."
  4                                 ....................(official signature and seal)
  5        (5)  If a certified copy  of  a  document  cannot  be  obtained  from  any
  6    recorder  or  custodian of public documents, and if certification of a copy of
  7    the document by a notary public is otherwise permissible, a notary public  may
  8    certify a copy of the document in substantially the following form:
  9        "State of Idaho     )
 10                            )ss.
 11        County of .....     )
 12             I,   ....................,  a  notary  public,  do  certify  that  on
 13        ..........,  .....,  I   carefully   compared   the   attached   copy   of
 14        .........................  (describe  document) with the original. It is a
 15        complete and true copy of the original document."
 16                                 ....................(official signature and seal)
 17        (6)  On each notary certificate, the notary public shall immediately  fol-
 18    lowing  his  signature  state  the date of the expiration of his commission in
 19    substantially the following form:
 20        "My commission expires on .............., ....."
 21        (7)  (a)  A notary may certify the affixation of a signature by mark on an
 22        instrument presented for notarization if:
 23             (i)   The mark is affixed in the presence of the notary and a witness
 24             unaffected by the instrument;
 25             (ii)  The witness signs the instrument beside the mark;
 26             (iii) The notary writes below the mark the following:  "Mark  affixed
 27             by  (name  of signer by mark) in the presence of (name and address of
 28             witness) and undersigned notary pursuant to Section 51-109(7),  Idaho
 29             Code"; and
 30             (iv)  The  notary  notarizes the signature by mark through a certifi-
 31             cate of acknowledgment or verification.
 32        (b)  The form of witnessing and certificate of verification for  a  signa-
 33        ture by mark should be in substantially the following form:
 34        "Mark: (.......)
 35        Printed or typewritten name of person signing by mark:
 36        ..........................................................................
 37        WITNESS: .................................................................
 38        Mark  affixed  by  (name  of  signer by mark) in the presence of (name and
 39        address of witness) and undersigned notary pursuant to Section  51-109(7),
 40        Idaho Code.
 41        State of Idaho      )
 42                            )ss.
 43        County of .....     )
 44             I,  ....................,  a notary public, do hereby certify that on
 45        this .....  day  of  ..........,  .....,  personally  appeared  before  me
 46        .............,  who,  being  by  me first duly sworn, declared that he/she
 47        made his/her mark on the foregoing instrument,  and  that  the  statements
 48        therein contained are true.
 49                                 ....................(official signature and seal)
 50        My Commission Expires:..................................................."
 51        (8)  (a) A  notary may sign the name of a person physically unable to sign
 52        or make a mark on an instrument presented for notarization if:
 53             (i)   The person directs the notary to do so in  the  presence  of  a
 54             witness unaffected by the instrument;
 55             (ii)  The  notary signs the person's name in the presence of the per-
                                                                        
                                       3
                                                                        
  1             son and the witness;
  2             (iii) The witness signs the instrument beside the signature;
  3             (iv)  The notary writes below the signature the following: "Signature
  4             affixed by notary in the presence of (name and address of person  and
  5             witness) pursuant to Section 51-109(8), Idaho Code"; and
  6             (v)   The  notary  notarizes  the  signature through a certificate of
  7             acknowledgment or verification.
  8        (b)  The form of witnessing and certificate of verification for  a  signa-
  9        ture by a person physically unable to sign or make a mark on an instrument
 10        should be in substantially the following form:
 11        "Signature of person by notary: ..........................................
 12        Printed or typewritten name of person whose signature is made by notary:..
 13        WITNESS: .................................................................
 14        Signature  affixed  by  notary  in the presence of (names and addresses of
 15        person and witness) pursuant to Section 51-109(8), Idaho Code.
 16        State of Idaho      )
 17                            )ss.
 18        County of .....     )
 19             I, ...................., a notary public, do hereby certify  that  on
 20        this  .....  day  of  ..........,  .....,  personally  appeared  before me
 21        ............., who, being by me first duly  sworn,  declared  that  he/she
 22        signed  the  foregoing  instrument  by directing the undersigned notary to
 23        sign the instrument for him/her, and that the statements therein contained
 24        are true.
 25                                 ....................(official signature and seal)
 26        My Commission Expires: .................................................."
                                                                        
 27        SECTION 2.  That Chapter 7, Title 55, Idaho Code,  be,  and  the  same  is
 28    hereby  amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and des-
 29    ignated as Section 55-712A, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:
                                                                        
 30        55-712A.  FORM OF CERTIFICATE -- ACKNOWLEDGMENT BY PERSON SIGNING BY MARK.
 31    The certificate of acknowledgment by a person signing by mark must be substan-
 32    tially in the following form:
 33        "Mark: (.......)
 34        Printed or typewritten name of person signing by mark:
 35        ..........................................................................
 36        WITNESS: .................................................................
 37        Mark affixed by (name of signer by mark) in  the  presence  of  (name  and
 38        address  of witness) and undersigned notary pursuant to Section 51-109(7),
 39        Idaho Code.
 40        State of Idaho      )
 41                            )ss.
 42        County of .....     )
 43        On this ..... day of .........., in the year ....., before me (here insert
 44        the name and quality of the officer), personally  appeared  .............,
 45        known   or   identified   to   me   (or  proved  to  me  on  the  oath  of
 46        .......................) to be the person whose name is subscribed to  the
 47        within instrument, and acknowledged to me that he/she executed the same by
 48        affixing his/her mark thereto."
                                                                        
 49        SECTION  3.  That  Chapter  7,  Title  55, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
 50    hereby amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and  des-
 51    ignated as Section 55-712B, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:
                                                                        
                                       4
                                                                        
  1        55-712B.  FORM  OF  CERTIFICATE  --  ACKNOWLEDGMENT  BY  PERSON PHYSICALLY
  2    UNABLE TO SIGN OR MAKE A MARK. The certificate of acknowledgment by  a  person
  3    physically  unable to sign or make a mark must be substantially in the follow-
  4    ing form:
  5        "Signature of person by notary.
  6        Printed or typewritten name of person whose signature is made by notary.
  7        WITNESS: .................................................................
  8        Signature affixed by notary in the presence of (insert names and addresses
  9        of person and witness) pursuant to Section 51-109(8), Idaho Code.
 10        State of Idaho      )
 11                            )ss.
 12        County of .....     )
 13        On this ..... day of .........., in the year ....., before me (here insert
 14        the name and quality of the officer), personally  appeared  .............,
 15        known   or   identified   to   me   (or  proved  to  me  on  the  oath  of
 16        .......................) to be the person whose name is subscribed to  the
 17        within instrument, and acknowledged to me that he/she executed the same by
 18        directing the undersigned notary to affix his/her signature thereto."

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


                      STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
                                
                            RS 16738
                                
  Increasingly, people who are required to execute a document
to be notarized are either unable to physically sign at all, or
can only affix a mark.  Most commonly, this is because of
physical infirmity, paralysis, or disease.  The person has
sufficient mental capacity to execute the document, but does not
have the physical ability to do so.  Traditionally, the method
used is to have the person either affix their mark, perhaps an
"X", to the document, or to direct another person to sign for
them.  However, Idaho law has been silent on the correct method
of notarizing either of those methods.  This bill sets forth the
correct method of the execution of the document, by mark or by
direction, and of notarization of the executed document.
                                
                                
                          FISCAL NOTE

  This bill will have no fiscal impact.





CONTACT:
Name:     Robert L. Aldridge, Trust & Estate Professionals of
          Idaho, Inc.
Telephone:
office:   (208) 336-9880  Cell: (208) 631-2481
         
         
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE                                    S 1059