In the recent past, mortgage fraud was a frequent topic in the media and remains a concern of many home owners. Although there were many instances of mortgage fraud in the past, every case submitted to a handwriting expert must obviously stand on its own merits and not tainted simply because of prior deceptive practices.
The handwriting expert will focus toward specific areas of concern by the client and may conduct other examinations as appropriate. The most frequent request of a document examiner is to determine if the signatures on the Note were originals (written with a pen), or printed with laser or inkjet technology common to printers.
Evidence recovered may then be evaluated by the client, and their counsel. If the signatures were not original, or the Note was altered in some manner from the initial signing, the handwriting expert will give testimony to support the client’s case.
It is common for mortgage documents to be in the possession of the Note holder or their attorney. The inspection of the documents may be allowed (or compelled), but the expert will often be required to conduct an “on-site” document examination at a location determined by opposing counsel. Doing so is less convenient and increases the cost of the examination for the client. However, the confirmation of original or photocopied signatures on the Note can be accomplished as well as the non-destructive analysis of other aspects of the document.