Salvador Sánchez Ávila, director of Notaría Pública Número 84 in Torreón and current president of the local Notaries College, has confirmed that Notaría 45 ceased operations on January 23, 2025. This action was taken after the Dirección de Notarías revoked the license of its head, Fernando Nicolás Muñoz Sanjuan, following directives from state authorities.
As a result, Notaría Pública 102 has been designated to handle any outstanding processes from Notaría 45, in accordance with the Notary Law, which mandates appointing a replacement to avoid leaving users vulnerable when a notary’s functions are terminated or in cases of a notary’s death.
This decision follows allegations from a group of citizens accusing Notaría 45 of being involved in a fraudulent land sale scheme, where properties were advertised through social media but no deeds were issued. Legal complaints have already been filed, prompting calls for further investigation by relevant authorities.
The withdrawal of the license stems from additional irregularities identified in the notary’s performance, not solely the reported land sale fraud as claimed by the affected parties.
Sánchez Ávila has stated that the Notaries College does not defend such cases and will cooperate with the authorities to clarify the situation if fraud has occurred. He also highlighted the existence of an office from the Dirección de Notarías del Estado within the Public Property Registry, where affected parties can formally lodge their complaints. Since criminal complaints are already in process, the General Prosecutor’s Office is expected to take charge of the investigations.
The Notaries College of Torreón is dedicated to enhancing the training programs for all notaries and their staff. Over the past four years, the college has established partnerships with municipal and state authorities as well as educational institutions, including the Universidad Iberoamericana, to offer accredited diploma courses.
