QUESTIONS OF FACT WHETHER FORGED NOTE AND GUARANTIES WERE RATIFIED (FOURTH DEPT).
The Fourth Department, modifying Supreme Court, determined, inter alia, that there were questions of fact whether a note and guaranties were ratified, despite forged signatures:
It is well established that a forged instrument may be ratified where “the principal retains the benefit of an unauthorized transaction with knowledge of the material facts” … . The evidence submitted in support of the motion contained sworn statements of Wheeler and his business partner establishing that the proceeds of the loan were used to provide the corporation with capital and that its president, Wheeler, knew that his signature had been forged on the documents authorizing the loan. Wheeler, however, never attempted to return the proceeds of the loan, and the loan “cannot now be repudiated” … . Thus, Wheeler’s own submissions raised issues of fact whether he ratified the forged note … . …
Even assuming, arguendo, that Wheeler established as a matter of law that the guaranties were forged, we conclude that plaintiff raised issues of fact whether he had knowledge of the guaranties and thus whether he ratified them … . Adirondack Bank v Midstate Foam & Equip., Inc., 2018 NY Slip Op 01713, Fourth Dept 3-16-18
DEBTOR-CREDITOR (QUESTIONS OF FACT WHETHER FORGED NOTE AND GUARANTIES WERE RATIFIED (FOURTH DEPT))/FORGERY (DEBTOR-CREDITOR, QUESTIONS OF FACT WHETHER FORGED NOTE AND GUARANTIES WERE RATIFIED (FOURTH DEPT))/NOTES (FORGERY, QUESTIONS OF FACT WHETHER FORGED NOTE AND GUARANTIES WERE RATIFIED (FOURTH DEPT))/GUARANTIES (DEBTOR-CREDITOR, QUESTIONS OF FACT WHETHER FORGED NOTE AND GUARANTIES WERE RATIFIED (FOURTH DEPT))/RATIFICATION (NOTES, GUARANTIES, QUESTIONS OF FACT WHETHER FORGED NOTE AND GUARANTIES WERE RATIFIED (FOURTH DEPT))