A bank employee's signature on a P&I Club standard form letter of indemnity in the space reserved for 'Banker's signature' is, on its proper construction, an agreement by the bank to join as co-indemnifier. However, the bank is not bound if the signatory lacked actual authority, and the signature alone does not constitute a representation by the bank of the signatory's authority sufficient to establish ostensible authority. A party relying on such a document cannot circumvent the absence of contractual liability by claiming the bank owed a duty of care to qualify the signature or disclose the signatory's lack of authority.
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