Cardinal Escrow was established in May of 1988 in Long Beach and has proven to be one of the top companies in the area.  Our staff includes highly regarded professionals including escrow officers, support staff, and an education and marketing department. Cardinal Escrow is an independent, licensed, bonded and insured escrow company.   The Cardinal Team is expert in all aspects of conveyance including: Residential and Commercial Real Estate Sales, Exchanges, Loans, & Refinances, Leisure World, Short Sales and Bank REO’s, Trustee Sales, Probate Sales, and Manufactured/Mobile Homes ...read more

As a notary public, I receive many calls requesting notarization of the Power of Attorney form.  This document grants power to an attorney-in-fact or agent to make financial, legal and/or medical decisions on behalf of the principal. Many people sign the Power of Attorney form at their home, business or lawyer’s office as part of their estate planning package. Often times, the signing of this form may also take place at a hospital, skilled nursing facility or convalescent home.  A recent call came from a daughter who lived in another state, and needed me to meet her at the hospital the next morning after her flight landed. Her father had been taking his daily walk and suffered a heart attack. Luckily he was fine.  Everyone was relieved that he was also mentally and physically capable of signing the document. Unfortunately, there have been times that I cannot notarize the Power of Attorney because the principal is not aware of what they are signing, or does not want to sign. Types of Power of Attorney Documents There are a variety of Power of Attorney documents and a lawyer should be consulted to answer any questions prior to having the forms notarized. A few of the most common are shown here: General – remains in effect until the principal becomes incapacitated or dies Durable - remains in effect even if the principal becomes incapacitated Medical – (also known as Advance HealthCare Directive) allows the agent to make medical decisions for the principal Financial – some banks require their own Power of Attorney form specific to finances California notary laws require that all document signers must personally appear before the notary and have valid, government issued identification.  In addition, all persons signing the form must be lucid and understand what they are signing. Members of the California Mobile Notary Network have more than 75 years of combined experience notarizing a variety of documents including power of attorney forms and other types of Estate Planning documents. Call on any of our members today for superior notary services throughout the state.  Last-minute emergencies are not easy for you or for your family, but we are here to help with your Power of Attorney paperwork. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kimberly McKendell is a mobile notary public based in Long Beach who has completed thousands of notarizations since 2001. Call her for all of your notary needs. She specializes in apostilles and certifications, real estate documents, living trusts, medical records, estate planning documents, title transfers, patent forms, foreign adoptions, prenuptial agreements, and power of attorney documents. ...read more