McWilliams v. Clem

We have here a case where a notary public, at the behest of a husband, took the acknowledgment of a deed transferring real property without the notary knowing or having satisfactory evidence that the wife, whose name appeared on the deed as a signator-grantor, was the individual described in and who executed the deed. The wife was not present before the notary public at the time of the acknowledgment, nor was contact made with the wife by the notary public. Nevertheless, the notary public signed the certificate of acknowledgment contained in the deed instrument as if the wife had personally…