1. If the agent signs after being authorized, that is, the agent signs for me within the agency authority, or I know that the agent signs the contract in his own name without denying it, the signature is valid and the contract will also have legal effect;
2. If the signing agent is not authorized to act as an agent, exceeds the power of attorney or signs on his behalf after the termination of the power of attorney, after my ratification, the act of signing by this agent is valid and the contract has legal effect;
3. If it does not belong to the above two situations, the signed contract has no legal effect.
A legally binding contract must meet the following four requirements:
1. The subject is qualified. The parties should have the conditions to conclude a contract, that is, the necessary capacity for civil rights and capacity for civil conduct;
2. Meaning means truth. The truthfulness of the expression of will is an important component of the effectiveness of the contract, which means that the expressive behavior of the ideologist should truly reflect his inner meaning. A contract is a product of agreement of will and a kind of agreement between the parties;
3. The behavior does not violate the law and social public interests. A contract that violates the mandatory provisions of laws and administrative regulations is invalid.
to sum up, I didn't sign the contract. If I ratify it afterwards, the contract is valid. If I don't ratify it, the contract is invalid. The signatory shall bear the legal responsibility for the losses caused thereby. The contract is still valid if the signer has the circumstances of agency by estoppel.
Legal basis:
Article 171 of the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China
If the actor has no power of agency, exceeds his power of agency or terminates his power of agency, he still acts as an agent, and if he has not been ratified by the principal, it will have no effect on the principal.
the counterpart may urge the principal to ratify it within 3 days from the date of receiving the notice. If the principal fails to make a statement, it shall be deemed as refusal to ratify. Before the act committed by the actor is ratified, the bona fide counterpart has the right to revoke it. The revocation shall be made by notice.
if the act committed by the actor is not ratified, the bona fide counterpart has the right to request the actor to perform the debt or request the actor to compensate for the damage suffered. However, the scope of compensation shall not exceed the benefits that the counterpart can obtain when the principal ratifies.
if the counterpart knows or should know that the actor has no right to act as an agent, the counterpart and the actor shall bear the responsibility according to their respective faults.
Article 172
If the actor has no power of agency, exceeds the power of agency or terminates his power of agency, the agency act is valid if the counterpart has reason to believe that the actor has power of agency.