Sentence:  It is not known whether any Puebla residents did go to the capital to bid for properties in their state because in such cases the purchases would have been formalized before a <WSD>notary</WSD> in Mexico City, [...] 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A lawyer of noncontentious private civil law who drafts, takes, and records legal instruments for private parties, and provides legal advice, but does not appear in court on clients' behalf.