Using Power of Attorney in a Real Estate Transaction
A power of attorney is a legal document that grants a person the legal authority to sign documents and enter into transactions on someone else’s behalf. If you give a trusted professional, friend, or family member power of attorney, their signature on your behalf is legally effective to the same extent as if you had signed.
There are several reasons why you may give someone power of attorney, such as anticipation of your own incapacity or extended travel. In the actual power of attorney document, you can limit the extent of an individual’s powers to sign agreements on your behalf. For example, you may give someone power to only handle medical or only financial matters.
Similarly, some power of attorneys are granted specifically for real estate transactions only. In fact there are often practical considerations that weigh in favor of considering a power of attorney in a real estate transaction. If you are in the middle of a real estate purchase or sale, it can be hard to predict a close of escrow date, or difficult to coordinate a close date with work or leisure travel schedules. By granting your attorney or other trusted professional power of attorney in a real estate transaction, he or she can sign all the closing documents while you maintain your travel plans.
Another reason to consider a power of attorney for real estate transactions is to protect your interests in the event of your incapacity. Planning for incapacity by creating a power of attorney can make sure your real estate is taken care of as you intend by allowing someone else to step in and take care of your property for you.
Always remember that when an individual uses their power or attorney to sign on your behalf, they are binding you to all agreements just as if you had signed them yourself. A power of attorney does not absolve you of any future responsibilities or obligations associated with a real estate transaction.
Ezer Williamson Law provides a wide range of both transactional and litigation services to individuals and businesses. We have successfully prosecuted and defended various types of business, real estate, construction and property claims. Contact us at (310) 277-7747 to see how we can help you with your business, real estate or construction law needs.
