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Just completed a sales contract and noted the use of numerous printed signatures (in handwriting font form by the buyers on the contract. As the buyers and my realtor had no objections I assume that font signatures are now now legally acceptable. Has this in fact become common?
Just completed a sales contract and noted the use of numerous printed signatures (in handwriting font form by the buyers on the contract. As the buyers and my realtor had no objections I assume that font signatures are now now legally acceptable. Has this in fact become common?
Yes it is common, they are known as electronic signatures or e-signed
Location: Finally the house is done and we are in Port St. Lucie!
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We signed every contract, every addendum, every piece of paperwork prior to closing, by electronic signature. At closing we hand signed all papers.
In this computer age, it makes it much easier to get things done. The documents are sent via the internet securely, click to sign, send back electronically. Beats having to send things back and forth through snail mail.
Signing via a program that requires the signer to certify that the person clicking the button is the person named is allowed. Programs like Docusign or Authentisign. Those programs come with a certificate stating that it wasn't just Joe Smith off the street corner typing the name. They have a timestamp somewhere on the page (varies by program) stating exactly when the signature took place. And they get emailed to the clients email address, so someone would have to hack their email account in order to forge a signature for them. It shows where it was sent in the certification, so there is no question later whether someone else could have signed for the signer. It was either them, or someone they let into their email, or else someone hacked their email account just for the purpose of signing docs in their name.
I've seen some contracts come back where the client has just used a program like Word to type their name in a chosen font. That isn't counted as a legal signature, as there is absolutely no way to show who did it.
And you can't do either for some documents. Many loan programs and all title companies still require a pen and ink notarized signature.
Location: Finally the house is done and we are in Port St. Lucie!
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Ours was Docusign. Now that you mention it, Lacerta, there were just a couple that we had to print, sign then scan and email. Can't remember if we actually had to physically mail them also.
At closing, you do need to sign with ink on paper.
Yep, very common. We have been using electronic signatures for years now and they are legally binding. Some of the programs allow you to create your own signature rather than using the standard font selections. Really is just a matter of preference although I do have my personally created signature saved for contract documents I need to sign.
I believe we will see a day where buyers go in, sit down at a computer, and electronically sign their closing docs.
Yeah this crap is all new to me.
Last time I applied for a mortgage I either went to an office or somebody came to the house and just passed an assembly line of papers past me and just kept saying "sign here" until I was done.
Now, all this stuff is getting emailed to me with kind greetings and instructions to please sign and return and I'm like "duh"...how do I do that on a computer?
I'm sure there is an easier way but I've just been printing out the stuff, signing, scanning, and emailing back.
Now, all this stuff is getting emailed to me with kind greetings and instructions to please sign and return and I'm like "duh"...how do I do that on a computer?
I'm sure there is an easier way but I've just been printing out the stuff, signing, scanning, and emailing back.
Your realtor will walk you through the e-sign process. If you have already printed everything out and scanned and signed it and sent it back then maybe there's nothing else to sign, but once you get into the e-sign process it is very, very easy, and all the printing out, scanning, notarizing, etc., is done away with. The first time you do it seems very confusing but it's really not. More and more realtors are starting to use these programs because the population is so much more on the move, it just saves lots of time and travel money.
My one complaint on this software is that it makes the process TOO easy, and clients tend not to even look at what they are signing. That happens some with pen and ink, but it is even more prevalent with digital signing. Which can lead to more misunderstandings, more mistakes that should have been caught, etc.
Exactly. I moved 80+ miles away but I'm still using my mortgage broker from where I used to live so everything is being done electronically. Even so, my lawyer and real estate agent are local but they are still doing everything electronically.
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