Have I been hoodwinked into signing a document?

[MrsHench]

Any legal/citizen advice welcome-TIA
In hindsight I feel really stupid for doing this.
Why am I feeling duped? A Colleague of mine asked me to sign a personal document for her during work time. She said I was just witnessing her signature. But she kinda poo pooed it when i asked what it was, as if it was none of my business. I think it's to do with her new flat which she's moved into recently. I obliged but then had to put my home address also which I wasn't really happy about. I was going to put my workplace address but she just laughed it off as if i was stupid. I've only been in the job 2 months and now I'm wondering why she didn't ask one of the other colleagues who she's know much longer. Why me and why not wait til the next day? What was the urgency with this?
We hardly know each other but she has been training me for the last 2 months. She's very good at her job, efficient, confident, authoritative and i don't think money is an issue with her from what i gather. But why now am I feeling uneasy about this? I have a young family, a full time job, work hard but I feel she pounced, caught me off guard so to speak. I am very stressed!
I should've asked to see the document, asked more questions after all she's asked me for my signature and my home address.
I felt she should've been more transparent on this situation too. Am I right to be concerned, worried? Please help!

It would have been sensible to ask what the document was but in all likelihood you have just witnessed a signature in relation to her property purchase. I've done this many times for colleagues and friends. Personally I wouldn't be too concerned.

Did she sign her bit of the form in front of you? If so, you were likely witnessing her signature (and the text above the line you signed on, would have stated this).
If not, then you weren't witnessing her signature and need to know asap what you were signing. Good luck

It should be clear if it was witnessing a signature, it will state that next to your name and address. You don't need to read the document but you do need to witness her signing it.

I think it's very unlikely you've signed up to being anything like a guarantor. That would be quite an extreme thing for a colleague to do and you'd need to provide more information than just a signature and address.

It's very normal to provide a home address when acting as a witness. If she's buying a flat she will have needed someone to witness her signature of the TR1 and mortgage deed if she has a mortgage. I've attached a picture of a TR1 signature page in case it jogs your memory.

Try not to worry too much and ask her calmly what the document was because you've been worrying a bit about it over the weekend. Don't make any accusations.

In my experience (am a lawyer) witnesses aren't generally shown the document they are witnessing.

Try not to worry.

Yes it's almost certainly THIS @MrsHench ^

There has to be a cooling off period for this. Surely....? Maybe someone who knows more about this can clarify....?

Please make the most of this and tell her you want to retract your signature/ permission!

It sounds like the mortgage deeds, they need to be witnessed.

@pwblwc · Yesterday 23:13

I think it's very unlikely you've signed up to being anything like a guarantor. That would be quite an extreme thing for a colleague to do and you'd need to provide more information than just a signature and address.

I disagree with this. Around a decade ago, a woman at my DH's workplace asked a few people to be her guarantor when she couldn't get a flat - because she had only been in the job for 3 months... (It emerged it was because of her bad financial record later on.) Loads of people said no.

She asked one particular lady who, whilst she was very nice, was quite naïve and clueless. She told her that it was just a character reference. Tricked her into being her guarantor. It does happen.

The problems the lady she asked went on to have were immense. Took her about a year to sort out, and had people chasing her for her colleague's unpaid rent. Went on and on, until even the bailiffs came. Colleague never paid a PENNY of rent. Except the first month along with the deposit.

Colleague left the workplace 4 or 5 months after getting the lady to sign. The landlord evicted her after 6 months.(Was only a 6 month tenancy.)

The lady in question who was conned had to pay ALL the rent the non-payer had not paid. Ended up being about £3800 that she had to fork out. Along with court costs and various fees on top. Best part of £5000. You're basically signing to say you will pay someone's debt. There is NO WAY OUT once you have signed to be guarantor.

But as I said, I am sure there must be a cooling off period. You HAVE to ask her to see what it is you signed @MrsHench . If it was to be a guarantor, hopefully the landlord or whoever is loaning her money, contacts you and asks for your financial details to prove you can be guarantor, then you can refuse and back out. Nevertheless, ask to see what it is you signed.

I think this was likely just witnessing her signature on one of the property purchase forms, in which case she would a) need your address and b) not need/want to show you the details (price etc.). Totally standard and I've seen lots of people do this with work colleagues.

She probably was awkward as she didn't want to tell people she was buying just yet.

I would say this is almost certainly a witness signature. These days to be a guarantor they would need a lot of financial information to make sure that you can afford it.
I've never asked to read documents that I've witnessed, that's not the point, and the document is private. The point is that you've witnessed them signing it & the document you've signed should say that you are signing as an witness. It's no big deal, really.
However, she should have explained what she was asking you to do.

If anything ever comes of it - deny signing - say she must've forged it.

Hopefully, you don't do an important job, your judgement is poor.

Thanks for all the replies, they were indeed very helpful. I spoke to the person concerned and her whole demeanour changed towards me whdn j approached her. I told her I would have appreciated more time to read & understand the document we don't know each other. She could have asked anyone else but she chose a day when it was just me and her working together in the office. She has lots of colleague friends and friends besides. She didn't even give me heads up..oh would you mind doing me a favour later or I have something I need signing.
She wasn't expecting me to challenge her I guess. I asked her for a copy of the document or at least the page that I'd put my details on and could she email it to me as I was going to be off the next few days.
She said she didn't have the copy..wtf! She gotten rid of it as it had all her personal information on it...are you actually for real. What about my private information?....so arrogant of her.
I just looked at her in disbelief. She then said she'd print a copy of the Internet and what she did basically was just type her name and address in the details for me to see and then wanted it back so she could shred it.
It was a TR1 form, Land Registry Deed. I don't believe that she shredded the original. Why would you do that? It's a Deed. I'm so conflicted over this and really pissed off at the lack of respect for me & that she thinks I should be OK this. I feel like taking it further so it's on record with HR. I don't want to cause trouble but she's really tested me.
Any advice on what to do next? TIA

Despite the update, you were probably witnessing her signature - as PP said, a witness does enter their address and does not usually read the document (though it is very reasonable to be told “this is for the land registry” or whatever)

If she has posted it to her lawyer, the lawyer should be able to scan and send back the signature page for you to view, if you want. This should say “witness name and address” or similar where you signed

I wouldn't do anything....I am slap bang in the middle of a moving house and received the transfers of title forms to sign today. I also need a witness to sign. I wouldn't let any witness read them however...they have personal information on. She certainly isn't at liberty to show you at this point surely? I think I'd take it away as a lesson learned

She might have shredded the original if she scanned and sent it to her lawyer, you know.

Presumably it's gone somewhere though? I.e her solicitor so it's a very easy request for her to get a copy to show that's what you signed.

Unlikely to be signing as guarantor as they'd want your employment details etc

This ! I'm amazed how many people are saying they'd insist on reading personal documents if they were just witnessing a signature.

I witnessed a document for a colleague last week. We sit on the same group of desks when we're in the office and make small talk but I don't know him well. I know he's buying a house and he just said "would you mind witnessing this for me for the bank" Which I did. The page had his name and signature on, and I added mine and address. I don't need to know how much his mortgage will be or where he's going to be living.

Chill out.

Could you contact the Land Registry Office and inform them that you signed this document without being aware of the contents(or told) and that you want to withdraw you signiture. I assume that you know her name and obviously know your name and the date you signed.

Explain your circumstances that you are new in the job and that the document was folded in such a way that you could.not see what you were signing

I really think you're making a mountain out of a molehill, witnessing a document is a routine thing needs your name and address

Sure, she hasn't gone about it in a very polite way but it's unlikely in the extreme that someone who barely knows you has set you up for some kind of fraud, it doesn't make any logical sens

See it as lesson learned for the future

Agree with this. All deeds need witnessing and need your home address. I witness loads every day. I certainly don't expect to read people's personal details although I do look at title to see what I am witnessing.

Chalk it up to experience- ask what the type of document is and look at the writing by your signature - it's very clear when it says Witnessed by...

I was a guarantor for DD's rent at uni.
Needed my salary, my employer etc. Picturex of passport/driving license. I had to upload payslips and after all that they had to email my employer to check that it was all correct 😳
It took ages

So basically I doubt it was any sort of guarantor agreement.

I don't think you need to worry. And, like someone suggested, you could just deny it was you if it was you that signed it in the very unlikely event it was something more serious. (You knew her for 2 months at work, no one's going to believe you'd sign up to take on her debt. Go with the story she forged your signature in this hypothetical scenario.)

This is a copy of a TR1 form.
Does it look famiiar?
I can't see where you need to sign as a witness to her signature.

I think as @purplecorkheart suggests upthread, you might want to speak to the Land Registry. Or HR.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/526516/TR1.pdf

All you were doing on the TR1 was witnessing her signature. The bit you signed will say Witness Signature (or similar). The form has the property price on so maybe she didn't want you to see that (there isn't much more information of interest on there). It's nothing to be concerned about, really.

But lesson learnt: don't feel pressured into signing anything and always find out what it is first as some things are legally binding.

Section 12: execution is for signatures (although it probably wouldn't be blank as shown there).