The experience we had today was a little different from the norm. During the course of an out-of-state oversight, we as notary signing agents sometimes run into a form called the Signature Name Affidavit. This form presents a signers name in multiple formats. For example, the list of names on a Signature Name Affidavit might look like this:
Jane Doe _______________________________
Also Known As:
Janice Doe ________________________________
Janey Doe ________________________________
Jan Doe ________________________________
Today’s transaction, which involved an insurance-related Release of All Claims Form, worked a little differently. The signer’s name on his identification appeared differently than what the insurance company provided. Therefore, our signer, who considered the name that was provided on the form as one way his name could be spelled, had to sign the name provided by the insurance company and an AKA (also known as) after providing his identification to the notary. Although, the signer could have signed how the company presented his name, notarizing the document AS IS was not possible because his name on his identification was shorter and quite different than what the insurance form provided.
As an example of what I’m talking about, especially for those that are extremely lost; A name like Mike can be mistaken by a company that automatically assumes the signer’s name is Michael, when in fact his given name is Mike. So in essence a document that shows him as Michael Wilkins and his actual real name is Mike Wilkins on his identification can be AKA-ed.
This weirdly complicated-seeming assignment was completed by Certified Notary Public Signing Agent Sonita M. Leak on the afternoon of August 10, 2015.