Jokeyra Notary Servives & More, LLC

02/17/2023

05/23/2016

Un notario público es un funcionario a través del cual un documento privado recibe carácter de documento público, y su firma autoriza dicho fin. De ahi la importancia de los servicios notariales que nuestra empresa presta.

Muchos documentos requieren el sello de un Notario Público, para demostrar o certificar su validez. Este sello no significa en modo alguno compromiso o verificación de lo que se está sellando, el hecho de notarizar un documento solo significa que el Notario Público, confirma y da fe, de que la persona que está solicitando la notarización es efectivamente la que estará firmando el documento en cuestión.

05/03/2016

WHAT IS A WILL?

A will is a written direction controlling the disposition of property at death. The laws of each state set the formal requirements for a legal will.

In Florida:
• You, the maker of the will (called the testator), must be at least 18 years old.
• You must be of sound mind at the time you sign your will.
• Your will must be written.
• Your will must be witnessed and notarized in the special manner provided by law for wills.
• It is necessary to follow exactly the formalities required by Florida law for the ex*****on of a will.
• To be effective, your will must be proved valid in and allowed by the probate court.

No will becomes final until the death of the testator, and it may be changed or added to by the testator by drawing a new will or by a "codicil," which is simply a separately written addition or amendment executed with the same formalities as a will. A will's terms cannot be changed by writing something in or crossing something out after the will is executed. In fact, writing on the will after its ex*****on may invalidate part of the will or all of it.

If you die without a will (this is called dying "intestate"), your property will be distributed to your heirs according to a formula fixed by law. Your property does not go to the state of Florida unless there are absolutely no heirs at law, which is very unlikely. In other words, if you fail to make a will, the inheritance statute determines who gets your property. The inheritance statute contains a rigid formula and makes no exception for those in unusual need.

04/30/2016

ABOUT THE POWER OF ATTORNEY

What is a Power of Attorney?
A Power of Attorney is a legal document delegating authority from one person to another. In the document, the maker of the Power of Attorney (the “principal”) grants the right to act on the maker’s behalf as their agent. What authority is granted depends on the specific language of the Power of Attorney. A person giving a Power of Attorney may make it very broad or may limit it to certain specific acts.

What are some uses of a Power of Attorney?
A Power of Attorney may be used to give another the right to sell a car, home or other property. A Power of Attorney might be used to allow another to access bank accounts, sign a contract, make health care decisions, handle financial transactions or sign legal documents for the principal. A Power of Attorney may give others the right to do almost any legal act that the maker of the Power of Attorney could do, including the ability to create trusts and make gifts.

Does a Power of Attorney need witnesses or a notary?
A Power of Attorney must be signed by the principal and by two witnesses to the principal’s signature, and a notary must acknowledge the principal’s signature for the Power of Attorney to be properly executed and valid under Florida law. There are exceptions for military Powers of Attorney and for Powers of Attorney created under the laws of another state.

What is a “principal”?
The “principal” is the maker of the Power of Attorney - the person who is delegating authority to another. This is the person who is allowing someone else to act on his or her behalf.

What is an “agent”?
The “agent” is the recipient of the Power of Attorney - the party who is given the power to act on behalf of the principal. The agent is sometimes referred to as an “attorney-in-fact.” The term “attorney-in-fact” does not mean the person is a lawyer.

12/01/2015

10/08/2014

Verify vehicle identification numbers (VINs)

Florida law requires that, when applying for a Florida title for the first time on a used motor vehicle, the owner must sign a sworn statement that the vehicle identification number (VIN) and the odometer reading on the vehicle are correct.

Additionally, a physical inspection of the vehicle
must be done by an authorized person to certify the VIN. Notaries public are included in the list of persons authorized to certify this information.

Part A requires the owner’s sworn statement regarding the correct VIN and odometer reading. A jurat, or notarial certificate is provided in this section. The notary should make sure that the information in Part A is complete prior to the notarization.

Part B requires that the notary public to certify that he or she has physically inspected the vehicle and found the VIN to be identical to the number recorded on the form. The notary public must include the date, sign the document, print his or her name and affix the notary seal.

This VIN verification form is also found on the Application for Certificate of Title With/Without Registration, HSMV 82040 (Rev. 5/96)S. These forms and all other forms related to vehicle
registration are available from the tag office of the Tax Collector's Office in each county.

10/08/2014

Solemnize marriages

Florida is one of only three states which authorize notaries public to perform marriage ceremonies.
Procedure

■ The couple must obtain a valid Florida marriage license from a
county court judge or clerk of the circuit court and present it to the
notary public before the marriage ceremony.

■ The notary public performs the marriage ceremony. An example of
a simple, civil ceremony is printed below. It may be personalized,
and the bride and groom may even exchange their own vows. But,
the couple's vows must reflect their intentions to make a legally
binding commitment to each other.

■ The notary public is responsible for making a certificate on the
appropriate portion of the marriage license and returning it to the office of the county court judge or clerk of the circuit court which issued the license within 10 days after solemnizing the
marriage.

10/08/2014

Attest to photocopies of certain documents

In Florida, notaries are authorized to attest to the trueness of photocopies of certain documents.
Although commonly known as certified photocopies, the notary law refers to these documents as
attested photocopies.
■ The document must be an original document. A notary public cannot make an attested photocopy from a photocopy, or from another certified copy.
■ The document cannot be a public record, certified copies of which are available from another public official. If a certified copy can be obtained from the official source, then the notary public should decline the request.
■ The making of the photocopy must be supervised by the notary public. It is not sufficient for the notary public to compare the photocopy with the original document. The notary public
must actually make the photocopy or supervise another person while he or she makes the photocopy

The following documents can be photocopied from the original (if not officially filed or recorded) and attested to by a notary, because certified copies cannot be obtained from another public official:
■ Florida driver's license
■ Florida vehicle title
■ Social Security card
■ Diploma
■ Medical record
■ U.S. passport
■ Bill of sale
■ Contract
■ Lease
■ Resident alien card
■ Personal letter

10/08/2014

Take acknowledgement

An acknowledgment is a formal [oral] declaration before an authorized public officer. It is made by a person executing [signing] an instrument who states that it was their free act and deed. That is, the person signed it without undue influence and for the purposes detailed in it. A certificate of acknowledgment is a written statement signed (and in some jurisdictions, sealed) by the notary that serves to prove that the acknowledgment occurred.

10/08/2014

Administer Oath or Affirmation

One of the most important duties of the Notary is to administer oaths and affirmations, which are solemn promises of truthfulness made by a signer, witness, or new office-holder.
An oath is a promise to a deity and an affirmation is a pledge on one's personal honor. Both are legally binding promises to tell the truth and subject the oath-taker or affirmant to penalties for perjury.
Verbal oaths or affirmations may be notarial acts in their own right -- as when "swearing in" a new public official -- or they may be part of performing a jurat notarization for a signed document.
It is customary for the Notary to ask the oath-taker or affirmant to raise the right hand in a pledging gesture or to place it over one's heart. Oaths and affirmations should be always be taken seriously by the Notary and the person being sworn or affirmed.