New York Laws
Part 4 - Liability of Parties
3-404 - Unauthorized Signatures.

(1) Any unauthorized signature is wholly inoperative as that of the
person whose name is signed unless he ratifies it or is precluded from
denying it; but it operates as the signature of the unauthorized signer
in favor of any person who in good faith pays the instrument or takes it
for value.
(2) Any unauthorized signature may be ratified for all purposes of
this Article. Such ratification does not of itself affect any rights of
the person ratifying against the actual signer.

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