Hi, I’ve been asked to be a guarantor for a friend which is totally fine. However, the landlord won’t accept a signature on email or even watch me sign a form on Zoom. He wants me to drive for two hours to where he is to physically sign it.
A) How bizarre is this and
B) Is this even legal?
he can ask what he wants. It is not illegal.
It is not bizarre and not illegal!
I like his thinking.
To ensure he is not a victim of fraud he is asking for the contract to be signed as a deed.
A wet signed contract is always better. Solicitors prefer documents to be signed in person.
He however cannot act as a witness to your signature. He has to ask a third party ( I usually ask the neighbour).
Guarantors are signing digitally and then alleging they had no knowledge of their guarantor status and allege they were a victim of fraud. Alternatively tenants are fraudulently using guarantor signatures they don’t have.
I sent a hard copy in the post to the address of the guarantor the other day ( validated by the deed of their home from land registry) and ask them to sign it witnessed and return first class post ( and put a SAE in the envelope to avoid delay). If there will be a delay in return I ask the signed document is scanned in whilst I wait for the hard copy. I can see the signature on their passport and driving license ( which can be validated by a doctor, solicitor or accountant).
signing digitally is a load of rubbish I always want to SEE all the parties involved
spoken like an honourable Luddite!
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You are exactly right. I never do internet banking, I do not have a credit card and NEVER have used a cash machine. ( I am quite proud of the latter) !
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