Landlord Question and Answer Forum

Hi all. 1st, I would like to say that I am very happy with EzLandlordForms and have been a member now since 2011. I plan to continue to use this service. However,. I want to post an issue for awareness to the community regarding E-Sign with the Service. E-Sign is not always requiring signatures and/or initials from tenants when as required on documents. This is happening on both standard lease documents and addenda regardless if there is customization or not. The only way to see this is to print or view the document after it is returned from the tenant after signature, and review each page. I have found this happening now with more than one example lease and multiple forms. There is also an issue with the way the E-Sign document flow is currently working. Currently, the Landlord signs the document 1st. Then it is sent to the tenant for their signatures and initials. This is backwards from all other E-Sign or usual legal document signature flows. It it needs to be reversed. Tenant should sign and accept terms 1st, then the landlord or agent can review for missing signatures or initials and full acceptance of terms before the Landlord or agent signs the document and finalizes. This way, Landlord can be sure of acceptance and that all signature spots are completely filled in properly. E-Sign does not actually verify that a signature is put in the box. It just looks for the box to have content. The Tenant could put anything they want into the box, such as "I do not accept this term" and it will pass E-Sign for completion. The way that the document flow is today, the landlord has already signed the document and it cannot be legally changed after the tenant then signs or puts something additional in the box. No other document flow works this way. ie: Mortgages, buyers contracts, any other legal transaction always has the buyer or tenant sign 1st for full acceptance of the terms of agreement. I have brought this issue to the attention of EzLandlord management and customer service now multiple times. No action has been taken to correct or give fix feedback. Just to tell me if E-Sign does not work for me, do not use it. That is not a great answer as E-Sign is a wonderful addition and useful if it works right. I have also suggested that E-Sign is temporarily taken off-line until this can be fixed. I am posting this to make other members aware of the issue so that they do not use E-Sign and then have later legal issues with tenant or documents. If you are not printing and reviewing your entire document after the tenant signs, you may not be aware of missing or added information by the tenant. I do hope that EZ management fixes this problem quickly and correctly as it is a major legal exposure for members and they may not know it until a document is challenged in court. Please fix . Thanks

This is a good point but i would not let anyone rent my unit without the final signed documents. That being said, if they decided to write "I do not accept the terms" i would not let them move in. Everything gets reviewed and finalized before the actions are taken.

Posted by Sid F, PA on Wednesday, October 18, 2017

If the flow of the documents in ESign had the tenant 1st, then landlord, the documents could be verified. Since it is Landlord 1st, that is the problem and what needs to be fixed. As stated above, the sequence is wring and the forms are not working properly. Believe me, I also will not be using ESign until fixed by EZLF.

Posted by William D, NC on Thursday, October 19, 2017