Acknowledgment
A formal declaration that a signer executed a written instrument as their own act and deed before a duly authorized officer.
Read full definition A
10 terms
Administrator
A person appointed by the court to manage the estate of someone who died without leaving a will.
Read full definitionAffidavit
A signed written statement that is duly sworn to before a notary public or another officer authorized to administer oaths.
Read full definitionAffirmation
A legally valid substitute for an oath, used by a person who does not wish to swear in religious terms.
Read full definitionApostille
A certificate used under the Hague Convention to authenticate the origin of a notarized or public document for use in another country that accepts apostilles.
Read full definitionAttest
To witness the execution of a written instrument, at the maker’s request, and subscribe it as a witness.
Read full definitionAttestation Clause
The clause, often at the end of a will, in which the witnesses certify that the instrument was executed before them and describe the manner of execution.
Read full definitionAuthentication (Notarial)
A county clerk’s certificate attached to a notary’s certificate of proof, acknowledgment, or oath that verifies the notary’s authority to act.
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The county clerk’s certificate, issued under Executive Law §133, that verifies the authority and signature of a notary public.
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1 term
Bill of Sale
A written instrument used to pass title to personal property from vendor to vendee.
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10 terms
Certificate of Official Character
A certificate, issued by the Secretary of State or a county clerk, attesting to the official character of a commissioned notary public.
Read full definitionCertified Copy
A copy of a public record certified as true by the public official who has custody of the original; a New York notary has no general authority to issue one.
Read full definitionChattel Paper
A writing or set of writings that evidences both an obligation to pay money and a security interest in, or a lease of, specific goods.
Read full definitionCodicil
An instrument made after a will that changes, explains, adds to, or partially revokes the will.
Read full definitionCommunication Technology
An electronic device or process that allows a New York notary and a remotely located individual to communicate simultaneously by sight and sound.
Read full definitionConsideration
Anything of value given to induce a party to enter into a contract.
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An agreement between competent parties to do or not do certain things for legal consideration, giving each party a right to what the other promises.
Read full definitionConveyance (Deed)
Every written instrument, except a will, by which an estate or interest in real property is created, transferred, assigned, or surrendered.
Read full definitionCredential Analysis
A third-party review process used in New York electronic notarization to test whether an identification credential appears valid and authentic.
Read full definition D
3 terms
Deponent
A person who makes oath to a written statement; technically, the person who subscribes a deposition, though often used interchangeably with affiant.
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Testimony taken out of court, under oath or affirmation, before a notary public or another authorized officer, for later use at trial or hearing.
Read full definitionDuress
Unlawful constraint exercised on a person so that the person is forced to do an act against their will.
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3 terms
Electronic Notarial Act
An official act by a New York notary, physically located in New York, performed on or involving an electronic record using means authorized by the Secretary of State.
Read full definitionEscrow
The placing of an instrument with a depositary to be delivered to a third person when a specified event occurs.
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1 term
G
3 terms
Grantor
The person who makes the grant or conveys an interest in property to another.
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2 terms
Identity Proofing
A process by which a credential service provider collects, validates, and verifies information about a person for remote or electronic notarization.
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2 terms
Judgment
A decree of a court declaring that one person is indebted to another and fixing the amount of the indebtedness.
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The officer’s certification at the end of an affidavit stating that the affidavit was sworn to or affirmed before the officer.
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3 terms
Lease
A contract by which a person entitled to possess real property transfers that right to another, usually for rent and for a stated term or at will.
Read full definitionLien
A legal claim or charge on specific property that remains attached to the property until a debt or obligation is satisfied.
Read full definition M
2 terms
Mortgage on Real Property
A written instrument that creates a lien on real estate as security for payment of a specified debt.
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1 term
Notary Public
A public officer who takes acknowledgments of deeds or writings and administers oaths and affirmations for statements in papers requiring an oath.
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1 term
Oath
A verbal pledge, made in the personal presence of the notary, by which the speaker assumes a present obligation to tell the truth.
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4 terms
Power of Attorney
A written statement by which one individual gives another person authority to act for the individual.
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The individual whose signature is reflected on the record being notarized, who takes an oath or affirmation before the notary, or whose signature follows such an oath or affirmation in an electronic notarial act.
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The formal declaration of a subscribing witness stating the witness’s residence, knowledge of the signer, and observation of execution of the instrument.
Read full definition S
6 terms
Seal
A device used by some notaries to identify the notary, authority, and jurisdiction, though New York law does not require a notarial seal.
Read full definitionStatute of Frauds
A rule of state law requiring certain agreements to be in writing, or at least partly performed, to be enforceable.
Read full definitionStatute of Limitations
A law that limits the time within which a criminal prosecution or civil action must be started.
Read full definitionSubordination Clause
A clause permitting a later mortgage to take priority over an existing mortgage.
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1 term
Taking an Acknowledgment
The act of the signer identifying themselves and acknowledging execution of the instrument, together with the notary’s act of obtaining satisfactory evidence of identity.
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1 term
Venue
The geographical place where the notary takes an affidavit or acknowledgment.
Read full definition W
1 term
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