Job Discussion Forums

Radhagrrl · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 7:34 pm Post subject: Notary Refused to Notarize

I know notary/apostille questions come up all the time, but I'm new at this and was wondering if this had happened to anyone else.

I took my original diploma and my original marriage certificate to my bank to get them notarized before I go to the secretary of state office to get them apostilled, and the notary public at my bank refused to do it. She said something about "I don't want to do this to an original", but when I asked if she'd notarize copies, she refused to do that, either. I'm going to try with another notary public, but needless to say, I am rather confused. All of the documents are form the state I'm in now (Texas), so it's not that.

thelmadatter · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 7:43 pm Post subject: notary

mmmmm never had that happen to me in the States. Happened here in Mexico because of the fact that not all my official paperwork shows the same last name (grrrrrr)

When I got my diplomas notarized and apostilled in Arizona, they apostilled notarized copies... thats what the notary was for... to verify that the copy was a copy of a real document... so that I didnt apostille the original. However, one of my original diplomas was apostilled due to a brain cramp on my part... they apostilled the back as to not ruin it.

By the way, is your marriage license from Texas? (birth cert. too). Those generally have to be apostilled in the state that they were issued... a hassle for me with my NYS birth certificate and CA marriage license

MELEE · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 8:11 pm Post subject:

We've had that happen frequently with teachers. Notaries in banks tend to have no idea that they are authorized to notarize copies. Because they may have spent their entire career as a notary only ever notarizing signatures. Tell the notary to get out their notary handbook--that will give them the wording that they need to use to make a notarized copy.

Realitor's offices are a good place to find notaries more willing to make notarized copies.

jfurgers · Joined: 18 Sep 2005 Posts: 442 Location: Mexico City

I just went through this is March in Texas so I know what you need to do.

Get your degree(not a copy, the original)
write the following in a word document

STATE OF TEXAS ____________________
TYPE YOUR NAME HERE

COUNTY OF__________

On this 1st day of August, 2008, (or whatever day you go) personally appeared (type your name here), as identified by his Texas Driver License, number:_____________ and upon his oath stated that he is the custodian of the original degree issued to (TYPE YOUR NAME HERE), by (TYPE THE NAME OF YOUR SCHOOL HERE) and the attached was duly compared to the original and is a true and correct reproduction of said original.

Subscribed and sworn to before me on this day noted herein.

_______________________________
Notary signature and printed name

Commission expires:_______________

After writing this in word print it out and, using a printer, print it on the back of your degree and take the degree to a notary. Let me know if you're close to McKinney. If you are I can tell you the branch to go to. It's wells fargo bank. They will notarize it for you

The mail it to the following:

Texas Notary Service Center
4107 South 1st Street
P.O. Box 2959
Austin, TX 78768
Attn: Henry Garcia

His number is: 512-443-9202. Mail the notarized degree to hm and he'll send it back to you with the apositlle attached. Call him for the price, I can't remember.

jfurgers · Joined: 18 Sep 2005 Posts: 442 Location: Mexico City

on my previous post it says

STATE OF TEXAS

ACROSS from that you should type your name. not under state of texas. sorry.

BTW, if you have a TEFL certificate, I would suggest that you get it apostilled also.

jfurgers · Joined: 18 Sep 2005 Posts: 442 Location: Mexico City

Call Henry with ANY apostille questions you may have. He'll be able to answer them for you.

Radhagrrl · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 2:29 pm Post subject:

Wow, thank you. I'm going to try some other notaries first, but that's some very helpful info. We were planning on actually just going to Austin tomorrow or Friday. Do you happen to know if I can walk into the 1st Street address?

Oh, we're over here in Fort Worth. And Wells Fargo is where I went and they wouldn't do it.

(Yes, the marriage license is from Texas as well.)

jfurgers · Joined: 18 Sep 2005 Posts: 442 Location: Mexico City

You can go to Austin if you'd like. They'll be able to do it the same day.Call Henry before you go to get the exact address. Get your marriage license apostilled also. If you can't find anyone to notarize it in Ft Worth and you're going to Austin anyway, go to McKinney and wells fargo will notarize it. Or someone at the capital should be able to do it.

Radhagrrl · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 1:02 am Post subject:

I finally got someone to notarize a copy of my degree, but she (the notary) said to get the original degree notarized, I'll have to take it to my school, which, of course, says they have no idea what I'm talking about. And still no one will notarize the marriage certificate.

Sigh.

I'll give Henry a call tomorrow. Thanks so much for all the help. I knew this was going to be as complicated as possible.

GueroPaz · Joined: 07 Sep 2007 Posts: 216 Location: Thailand or Mexico

Pardon me if I have asked this before on the Mexico forum.

Getting my Thai TEFL certificate apostilled would require 2 or 3 days in Bangkok, probably with a Thai interpreter - total expense, maybe US$300. Then I would visit Austin to get my original degree and my Austin divorce decree apostilled. But my birth certificate is from Chicago, and I ain't going there. My birth cert has a statement saying it is not valid unless it has embossed seals, and you cannot see or feel the embossed seals. Of course, I have a valid passport. At this point my mind blocks and I think I cannot get legally certified. Am I missing something?

Well, maybe I can get an embossed birth certificate from Illinois, sent to me in Thailand. I do not know.

jfurgers · Joined: 18 Sep 2005 Posts: 442 Location: Mexico City

Do you need abirth certificate in Thailand when you have all of those other documents?? I would think the apostilled degree and passport would be enough. I thought about getting my birth certificate apostilled before I came but then I figured I wouldn't need to so I didn't.

But I did call the capital of Kentucky to see if they could do it and they said yes. If that's something you really need, call Illinois and see what you have to do to get it. Sounds unnecessary though.

My apostilled degree, apostilled certificate in TEFL, passport and tourist visa is all I have needed here in Mexico City.

dixie · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 644 Location: D.F

MO39 · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:26 pm Post subject:

When I applied for my FM3 independiente, I was told by my lawyer that my apostilled birth certificate wasn't needed by Migraci�n. Things might have been different if I had been applying for the visa through a particular school that had already offered me a job.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

GueroPaz · Joined: 07 Sep 2007 Posts: 216 Location: Thailand or Mexico

Thanks, y'all. I won't worry about getting a better birth certificate before coming to Mexico. It kind of reminds me of the time I arrived at the US border in Brownsville, returning to the US. About the only ID I had that day was my original, embossed, birth certificate (which a friend of mine recently destroyed). This was before the days of mandatory passports. The US Customs guy looked at my birth certificate (we were both in our 50's then, and looked like twins) and said it did not prove enough.

I will bring my non-embossed Illinois birth cert which was originally mailed to me in San Cristobal.

I hate to waste 3 days and uS$300 to get my TEFL cert apostilled, but if that is what it takes, I will do it.