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Hello. A friend of mine just got her dying ex-boyfriend
to sign some papers and she wants me to sign these
papers as a witness even though I wasn't there at the
hospital when her ex-boyfriend signed them.
Can I get in trouble for signing these papers ?
She says that she couldn't get any hospital employee
to sign them because they are not allowed to do this.
I wanted to tell her to do the whole thing all over again
but felt that it would be mean to ask a dying person to
go through the same thing again.
Please reply to the newsgroup.
Thank, M
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Hello. A friend of mine just got her dying ex-boyfriend
to sign some papers and she wants me to sign these
papers as a witness even though I wasn't there at the
hospital when her ex-boyfriend signed them.
Can I get in trouble for signing these papers ?
She says that she couldn't get any hospital employee
to sign them because they are not allowed to do this.
I wanted to tell her to do the whole thing all over again
but felt that it would be mean to ask a dying person to
go through the same thing again.
Yes you can get in trouble. Conspiracy and fraud if the ex didn't
sign, and perjury depending on how far you carry the lie, regardless
of whether the ex actually signed. Don't do it.
McGyver
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McGyver wrote
">Yes you can get in trouble. Conspiracy and fraud if the ex didn't sign, and
perjury depending on how far you carry the lie, regardless of whether the ex
actually signed. Don't do it."
Yup. *Hopefully* the OP will listen well to what you just said.
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have a GREAT day !!!
Solar
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mdcanto@aol.com (Mdcanto) wrote in message news:<20041020060023.28718.00001180@mb-m05.aol.com>...
Hello. A friend of mine just got her dying ex-boyfriend
to sign some papers and she wants me to sign these
papers as a witness even though I wasn't there at the
hospital when her ex-boyfriend signed them.
Can I get in trouble for signing these papers ?
She says that she couldn't get any hospital employee
to sign them because they are not allowed to do this.
I wanted to tell her to do the whole thing all over again
but felt that it would be mean to ask a dying person to
go through the same thing again.
Please reply to the newsgroup.
Thank, M
It sounds like you are right in refusing.
Going to jail for something like that really isn't in the cards, but
being sued and held personally responsible for losses sustained by the
ex's estate might be, if everything goes wrong.
A witness in a situation where something like a durable power of
attorney or a will is being signed may be called to testify as to the
signer's genuine assent to what's in the document.
Say, for example, the document is a durable power of attorney giving
Friend power over Ex's accounts. Ex is so doped up with painkillers
that he isn't lucid enough to understand what he's signing away.
Witness (you) isn't there to see this. Friend takes the DPOA and
cleans out Ex's accounts just before Ex dies. Later, Ex's executor
goes about collecting assets and notices the zeroed-out accounts, so
he sues Friend and everybody who had anything to do with the DPOA for
return of the money. Some others testify that Ex was less than
coherent when he signed. You can't testify to anything, because you
weren't there, and now the fact that you weren't there can't be
overlooked. Your signing as a witness in bad faith helped Friend
further her scheme, and you could (in some states, there are laws
governing the liability of witnesses) be held partly responsible.
Worst case, you're held jointly and severally liable, and Friend has
blown all the money and is judgment-proof, so you get stuck with the
whole judgment.
--
Not a lawyer,
Chris Green
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I heard a rumor that on 20 Oct 2004 10:00:23 GMT, mdcanto@aol.com
(Mdcanto) wrote:
Hello. A friend of mine just got her dying ex-boyfriend
to sign some papers and she wants me to sign these
papers as a witness even though I wasn't there at the
hospital when her ex-boyfriend signed them.
Can I get in trouble for signing these papers ?
Yes.
She says that she couldn't get any hospital employee
to sign them because they are not allowed to do this.
I wanted to tell her to do the whole thing all over again
but felt that it would be mean to ask a dying person to
go through the same thing again.
Explain to the ex that in order to sign as a witness, you must
actually witness his signing.
Kent
--
If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you will
be afraid to cough.
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Kent Wills wrote:
I heard a rumor that on 20 Oct 2004 10:00:23 GMT, mdcanto@aol.com
(Mdcanto) wrote:
Hello. A friend of mine just got her dying ex-boyfriend
to sign some papers and she wants me to sign these
papers as a witness even though I wasn't there at the
hospital when her ex-boyfriend signed them.
Can I get in trouble for signing these papers ?
Yes.
She says that she couldn't get any hospital employee
to sign them because they are not allowed to do this.
I wanted to tell her to do the whole thing all over again
but felt that it would be mean to ask a dying person to
go through the same thing again.
Explain to the ex that in order to sign as a witness, you must
actually witness his signing.
Interesting.
If there are 3 people in a room, and each sign the same document, how is the
court to know when exactly the document was signed?
Specially if the one person dies soon afterwards.
Who's to say when the document was signed?
Now if it were signed in the presence of a notary, then the document would
have more clout in court, I would assume.
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