It was a bad experience. I arrived at our meeting spot well ahead of schedule with my partner, who…read morewas to act as a witness. After four minutes, I got a surly phone call from Tim, who was there to meet us. We were expecting a "Mike" who had confirmed the Friday before.
Tim was sitting across the venue from us and was put out that we hadn't noticed his "big pile of papers" and approached him directly, even though he was at a small table for two and the venue was full of other people conducting their business. In fact, it's not our job to poll everyone there to see if they happen to be our notary; he could have simply called us when he arrived. So he was already grumbling and in a bad mood when he approached our table.
I was there to sign for my mother using my power-of-attorney. He instructed me to sign her name "in cursive" and then to write the usual "...as attorney-in-fact for..." below. This was for a loan closing, where I would have to sign this way maybe a dozen times or more. When I asked him how many times I would have to manually write out the entire message, he got even angrier.
I wrote my Mom's name on the signature line and the attorney-in-fact message below it, but Tim again insisted I sign her name "in cursive." Usually, when signing with POA, it is legally acceptable to sign your own name in lieu of the person you are signing for, and then to clarify below that you are signing as their agent. A pamphlet from the Bar Association confirms this. It is not necessary to "forge" a cursive signature for someone. Additionally, any mark may be considered a signature; the notary is there to verify the identity of the signer and to witness the mark they make as their signature. Being "in cursive" doesn't make a signature any more or less valid.
I told Tim that I would make an attempt to handwrite the many signatures required, but that I might not be able to finish due to hand strain. I also said that I would print Mom's name, as I was not comfortable trying to sign it legibly (or consistently) in cursive. He showed me his own arthritic fingers to make me feel bad, I suppose. After some unpleasantries, he then threatened to leave but eventually agreed to stay.
As I proceeded, Tim began to berate me and attack my character for questioning him and not signing in cursive, complaining loudly about me to my partner. He said that I was the type of person who would only do something if God told them to. He then asked me if I thought I was God. He told me he didn't appreciate his time being wasted and that the documents probably wouldn't be accepted. Again, as a non-lawyer (who would be presumably be paid for his time regardless), I wasn't clear on why he thought this was necessary.
After more abuse (and talk about God), and facing a lengthy and unpleasant signing process, I decided to abort the signing and reschedule with our lender. Tim continued to berate me as we left, saying "Thanks for wasting my time!"
I was stunned by Tim's surly and unprofessional behavior, his attacks on my character, and his invocation of God. My theological beliefs shouldn't enter into a loan closing in any circumstance. Signing at closing is never a particularly fun experience, but the least you'd expect is professional treatment and, if not overtly polite conversation, at least secular.
