What are the "Legal Notices - Private Party" in the Classifieds section of The Village Voice?
There are several of these. I am absolutely baffled by them. The best I can figure out is that they have something to do with a legal name change. But why are they posted in a newspaper? And why are these people’s addresses published? What is the purpose of this, and what is this about? Here is an example:
Notice is hereby given that an Order entered by the Civil Court, New York County, on 07/14/2009, bearing Index Number NC-001512–09/NY, a copy of which may be examined at the Office of the Clerk, located at 111 Center St, New York, NY 10013, grants me the right to ASSUME THE NAME OF: JANET DUTAN. My Present name is: JHANET DUTAN AKA JANET DUTAN, AKA MARIA JANET DUTAN. My present address is 40–40 Junction Blvd, apt 3f, Corona, NY 11368. My place of birth is Queens, New York. My date of birth is December 31, 1989.
What the f? There are 4 of these. They are each identical to this one, but with varying names and addresses and such. They are under “Legal Notices – Private Party,” which is a random section amongst more typical classified sections. Please tell me everything you can about the purpose and meaning of these weird legal notices.
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2 Answers
From New York Statues on Name Change:
“The order shall be directed to be entered and the papers on which it was granted to be filed prior to the publication hereinafter directed in the clerk’s office of the county in which the petitioner resides if he be an individual, or in the office of the clerk of the civil court of the city of New York if the order be made by that court. Such order shall also direct the publication, at least once, within twenty days after the making of the order, in a designated newspaper in the county in which the order is directed to be entered, of a notice in substantially the following form: Notice is hereby given that an order entered by the…......... court,............ county, on the…... day
of…...., bearing Index Number…........, a copy of which may be examined at the office of the clerk, located at…........, in room number…...., grants me the right to assume the name of…...........
My present address is…..................; the date of my birth is…...................; the place of my birth
is…....................; my present name
is….......................... ”
The logic behind this type of notice is that a person, Jhanet Dutan is changing her name, and since this makes her harder to locate (since her name will be different), she has to publicly announce the change, in case somebody is trying to find her, or she owes money, etc. The address and DOB info is to specifically identify her from other “Janet Duhans” who are not be changing their names, but have the same name.
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