WITNESSING DOCUMENTS FOR REAL ESTATE CLOSINGS IN INDIANA
What you should know if you’ve been asked to witness a real estate closing in Indiana
A statutory change went into effect July 1, 2020 that requires recorded documents to contain both an acknowledgment of the signer’s signature by a notary public and a proof (witness) to the signer’s signature.
Who can serve as a witness?
- 18 years of age or older.
- Cannot be an interested party to the transaction (i.e., anyone who could benefit from the transaction, such as a buyer, seller, relative, broker, loan officer or the notary public).
What exactly does it mean when I sign the document as a witness?
- You reasonably believe the person who signed the document is who they say they are.
- You viewed the signing of the document by that person.
- You are NOT making any other statement about the document or the transaction.
How do I obtain reasonable belief that the signer is who they say they are?
- You should review the signer’s identification card such as a valid, government-issued photo ID and obtain a copy.
What do I need to bring to the closing?
- Please bring your valid, government-issued photo ID. Your signature as the witness must be notarized and the notary will use your ID to identify you for the notarization. The escrow officer will take a copy of your ID.
What do you do with my ID?
- We save a copy in our file to evidence that the notary took the proper steps to identify the person whose signature was notarized. We protect your ID by adhering to current law and industry recommendations on the safeguarding of private information.
What happens to the document that I witnessed after the closing?
- It will be recorded in the public record with the county recorder where the subject property is located. Your signature will appear on the document in the public record, but your name as it relates to that document will not be searchable.
Near North Title Group’s mission is to protect and partner with our customers as they buy, sell and refinance real estate. If you have any other questions, please speak with the escrow officer on the transaction or visit us at www.nntg.com for further contact information.
