Best way to get a rental contract signed from overseas

[Claudia Schmidt]

I'm currently travelling overseas, my rental property is in Mexico and my new tenant is in the States. I want to get the rental contract signed before he arrives to Mexico. What's the best way to do this?..without resorting to snail mail if possible.

Could I sign the contract, scan it, email it to him, ask him to print, sign, scan it and email it back? Or are scans not good enough in case of any legal issues and has to be both original signatures?

Or do any of you use a 'carta poder' in Spanish for Mexico or 'power of attorney' to have your agent sign on your behalf? If so, then I guess as another solution I could email the contract to him, he prints, signs and snail mails it to my agent in Mexico, who with the power of attorney signs on my behalf?

The reason I cannot have snail mail come to me is I am currently travelling and not in a fixed location for the next few months.

Thank you for any advice!

[Jon Holdman]

Faxes are available pretty much every where. Since the property is in Mexico, I'd check with your Mexican attorney about what's sort of signatures and documents are allowed. If they require original documents and original signatures, then FedEx may be your only choice. That too is available pretty much everywhere. Expensive, to do rapid, international delivery, but it might be your best choice if originals are required. Otherwise, find a fax machine, call the other person and say "fax it now."

What about hiring a property manager who's near the property? Being so out of touch seems like a recipe for disaster.