138 - Powers of notaries public or other officers who are stockholders, directors, officers or employees of a corporation.

§ 138. Powers   of   notaries   public   or  other  officers  who  are  stockholders, directors, officers  or  employees  of  a  corporation.  A  notary  public,  justice  of  the  supreme court, a judge, clerk, deputy  clerk, or special deputy clerk of  a  court,  an  official  examiner  of  title,  or  the  mayor  or  recorder  of a city, a justice of the peace,  surrogate, special surrogate, special county judge, or  commissioner  of  deeds,  who  is  a  stockholder,  director,  officer  or  employee  of a  corporation may take the acknowledgment or  proof  of  any  party  to  a  written  instrument executed to or by such corporation, or administer an  oath to any other stockholder, director, officer, employee or  agent  of  such  corporation, and such notary public may protest for non-acceptance  or non-payment, bills of  exchange,  drafts,  checks,  notes  and  other  negotiable instruments owned or held for collection by such corporation;  but  none  of  the officers above named shall take the acknowledgment or  proof of a written instrument by or to a corporation of which  he  is  a  stockholder,  director, officer or employee, if such officer taking such  acknowledgment or proof be a party  executing  such  instrument,  either  individually  or  as  representative  of  such  corporation, nor shall a  notary public protest any  negotiable  instruments  owned  or  held  for  collection  by such corporation, if such notary public be individually a  party to such instrument, or have a financial interest in the subject of  same. All such acknowledgments or proofs of deeds,  mortgages  or  other  written  instruments,  relating to real property heretofore taken before  any of the officers aforesaid are confirmed.  This act shall not  affect  any action or legal proceeding now pending.