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Ink Color Matters

by Michael H. Wasserman 

It turns out that ink color really does matter. At least it does for Kane County recordings. This alert from one of our favorite title companies today:

**It has just come to our attention that Kane County will charge an additional $22 if deeds are signed in blue ink.** 


I assume that this policy would also apply to deeds signed in red, green, purple or whatever
too.


This seemed odd. Why would the County single out blue inked deeds and but not mortgages or other documents?


So i called the recorder to find out. Perhaps a slight mis-understanding here. Blue ink used in signatures and dates should be OK. Both for grantors and notaries. Its those corrections of scrivener's errors. Language adding vesting information. "Mail-to's" and the like. Making those marks in blue is going to cost you. Or the Buyer. In Kane County those markings render the document non-standard and will incur a recording surcharge.

Blue ink or black. Just one of those eternal questions for practitioners. Our clients who work in health care settings want only to sign in black. Black ink scans and copies better. Blue may appear very lightly or not at all. They are taught to make all hand-written medical records in black.


But lenders ask borrowers to sign in blue. Blue ink signatures stand out from the black text that surrounds them. Easier to spot. (But for color laser printers) easier to find the original - look for the one with the blue ink.


Ultimately Sellers can continue to sign deeds and other conveyance documents in whichever color they prefer. But have mercy on the buyer's attorney or closer who tries to correct a deed using the wrong color. Going to have to start taking both black and blue ink pens to closings.... or maybe one of these babies.

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