Hearing about all the devastation a natural disaster brings makes me want to DO something. I realized that with my notary commission, this time I can. There are a group of notaries public from the Tuesday Notary Titans group that are preparing to perform free notarizations in the affect areas. Details are forthcoming.
With so many homes lost, one of the most common items that will need notarization is an Affidavit of Loss that many insurance companies request. Please contact your insurance company and get exact details on what they require. When meeting with a notary public to have the documents notarized, all parts must already be completely filled out with no blank spaces. A notary public should not notarize an incomplete document.
Most of these affidavits will require the following:
1. Declarant’s Personal Information: Include the full name, address, and contact details of the individual declaring the loss (this individual is the “declarant”).
2. Description of the Lost Item: Clearly specify the item(s) that have been lost, including identifying details like serial numbers or unique features. Oftentimes, this would be for important documents including driver’s licenses, school records, or vital records. This is also where you would need to have instructions from your insurance company on what to include, especially if creating a list of items lost in a fire that need to be replaced.
3. Circumstances of the Loss: Provide a detailed account of how and when the item was lost, including relevant dates and locations.
4. Statement of Loss: Include a clear declaration affirming the loss of the item and that it has not been recovered. In some locations of the 2025 California fires, there are officials that are already assessing the damages to the buildings and there might be adjusters providing some of that information in your area. Please check with you local authorities to obtain those documents to include as appendices to the affidavit.
5. Signature: End with the declarant’s signature, affirming that the information is accurate and truthful.
In the state of California, if notarization would be required, the notary would fill out a jurat and attach it to the affidavit. DO NOT FILL OUT A JURAT ahead of time. Have the affidavit completed, but the jurat MUST be completed in the presence of the notary public. Best practice would be for the notary to note on the jurat the name of the document, number of pages, and any other unique, identifying features in order to deter fraudulent use of the jurat.
🙋🏻♀️ Rachel L. Reges
📞 714-497-0154
📧 citrusSigningsNotary@gmail.com
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