Notaries, by definition, are Magisturial officers of the state who act as impartal witnesses to the execution of documents signed before them. A Notries actions are illegal if he has a financial interest in the transactions outcome.

It should be noted that all in-house Notaries operate in this gray area. They get paid by one of the parties to the transactions they are witnessing. Most, if not all, states recognize this and have laws, regulating these types of transactions, protecting Notaries from undue pressures by their employers, and providing punishment for illegal and unethical actions.

I am not an attorney but; it seems to me that if it can be shown that the Director/Notary has a financial interest in the transaction, he may have performed an illegal action. This would void his Notarization. At the very least; his actions have the appearance of an unethical act. The Secretary of State should be asked about the lagality of his actons and the status of the documents.     Ron Brasier, CSA

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