My dad recently had an intense health scare that landed him in the hospital for a couple weeks.
He’s much better now, but one aspect of this scare was the reminder that we needed to get his important estate planning documents up-to-date.
But updating wasn’t enough. The validity of these documents depended on signatures and a stamp from both independent witnesses and an official notary. I had no problem wrangling witnesses, but I’d never had to utilize a notary before.
Luckily, Jackson County Library Services was able to save the day.
Did you know JCLS has official notaries on staff? Five, actually! Their in-person services are available by appointment at the Medford, Eagle Point, Gold Hill, Butte Falls, and Prospect branches. You don’t need to be a Jackson County resident or a JCLS card holder to access the service. If you have your documents in order and you can make an appointment for an in-person session at one of those five aforementioned branches, we can help you out.
Oh, it’s free, too, and assistance is available to English and Spanish speakers.
Stamp of approval
The service has been part of JCLS for several years. JCLS Business Librarian Roslyn Donald says it’s a fulfilling endeavor to be a part of.
Roslyn, who has been doing notary work as part of her job for more than four years, recalls a story of an unhoused woman who came to the library after her car – and everything in it – got stolen. The event left her needing to reapply for copies of her children’s birth certificates, and the necessary forms just to apply for those documents required a notary’s official stamp and signature.
The Maslow Project connected the woman with JCLS after she came to the agency seeking help. Roslyn was able to offer it.
“They needed the document for all four kids so that they could apply to school, get enrolled at school, and get enrolled for benefits,” Roslyn says. “Everything that a family trying to get established needs.”
Limitations
There are some limitations. JCLS notaries can’t notarize real estate or immigration documents. They also can’t make or note a commercial protest, or make or certify copies of birth, death, marriage, or divorce certificates.
Finally, they can’t give legal advice, and library staff cannot act as witnesses. You also can’t solicit random JCLS patrons using the library to be witnesses.
Notaries also can say no if they don’t feel all parties involved understand what they are agreeing to.
“A couple of times I have had to ask some very pointed questions,” Roslyn says. “If I’m not sure, I’ll say, ‘Tell me what this document does in your own words.’ You have to be discerning about situations, because you can get in some fairly tricky ones.”
“Ninety-eight percent of the time, it’s not a big deal, but you do have to be alert to the 2 or 3 percent of the time when something’s not right,” she adds. That’s my responsibility.”
Grateful
I can’t say enough good things about this JCLS offering.
It was there during a particularly scary time in my family’s life, and it was executed with compassion and patience.
Ultimately, my family can breathe easier, and I’ll always be grateful for that. If such a service is something you’ve been looking for, one of our five notaries is here for you, too.