Keck v. Keck

This is an appeal in a civil case from the refusal of the Common Pleas Court to grant a money judgment against a notary public who acknowledged a purported but forged signature of the plaintiff on the title to his 1974 Ford stationwagon. The signature was forged by an unidentified man. The plaintiff’s wife (a total stranger to the notary public) misrepresented to the notary public that the signer was her husband, Lawrence O. Keck (the plaintiff-appellant here).

The trial court held the notary public was not negligent. We reverse. A notary public in taking an acknowl-edgement is required by the…