Section 138. Powers of notaries public or other officers who are stockholders, directors, officers or employees of a corporation

A
  notary  public,  justice  of  the  supreme court, a judge, clerk, deputy
  clerk, or special deputy clerk of  a  court,  an  official  examiner  of
  title,  or  the  mayor  or  recorder  of a city, a justice of the peace,
  surrogate, special surrogate, special county judge, or  commissioner  of
  deeds,  who  is  a  stockholder,  director,  officer  or  employee  of a
  corporation may take the acknowledgment or  proof  of  any  party  to  a
  written  instrument executed to or by such corporation, or administer an
  oath to any other stockholder, director, officer, employee or  agent  of
  such  corporation, and such notary public may protest for non-acceptance
  or non-payment, bills of  exchange,  drafts,  checks,  notes  and  other
  negotiable instruments owned or held for collection by such corporation;
  but  none  of  the officers above named shall take the acknowledgment or
  proof of a written instrument by or to a corporation of which  he  is  a
  stockholder,  director, officer or employee, if such officer taking such
  acknowledgment or proof be a party  executing  such  instrument,  either
  individually  or  as  representative  of  such  corporation, nor shall a
  notary public protest any  negotiable  instruments  owned  or  held  for
  collection  by such corporation, if such notary public be individually a
  party to such instrument, or have a financial interest in the subject of
  same. All such acknowledgments or proofs of deeds,  mortgages  or  other
  written  instruments,  relating to real property heretofore taken before
  any of the officers aforesaid are confirmed.  This act shall not  affect
  any action or legal proceeding now pending.