Court Opinion

ID: 9675007
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 04:39:02.659685+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:30.764707
License: Public Domain

LARSEN, Justice,
concurring and dissenting.
I concur in that portion of the majority’s opinion finding the First National Bank of Monahans’ account to be a joint account with right of survivorship. I respectfully dissent, however, from that portion of the opinion finding the Midland NCNB account insufficient to create such a right of survivorship. I do not believe that either Texas Probate Code § 439(a), or the Stauffer v. Henderson opinion mandate that the clear purpose of the deceased joint account holder to be thwarted here.
*540Mrs. Hart, by her written signature, contracted to be bound by a Deposit Agreement which contained language tracking the “safe harbor” language of the probate code. I believe her actions and the written agreement contained in the signature card and Deposit Agreement were sufficient to create a joint account with right of survivorship. Certainly, if the bank sued Mrs. Hart, they would rely on her agreement to be bound by the Deposit Agreement.
The majority’s opinion holds, by implication, that a decedent’s signature must be contained on the same document which sets out the safe harbor language, and that Mrs. Hart’s signature on one document agreeing to be bound by another is insufficient as a matter of law to create the right of survivor-ship. I perceive no such requirement in the language of the probate code or the relevant caselaw. Although I would certainly agree that incorporation by reference is not the preferred method for creating these accounts, I would nevertheless hold that where the document to be incorporated is identified with certainty, exists at the time the account is created and the signatures made, and contains adequate language to satisfy the terms of the probate code, that is sufficient to create the joint account with right of surviv-orship. This is particularly true where, as here, the joint account holders’ initials next to the checked box and the words “with right of survivorship” provides further written proof of decedent’s purpose in creating the account. I can see no reason to require that the statutory “safe harbor” language and decedent’s signature be physically present on the same piece of paper; so long as they are both part of an integrated written agreement, they should create the joint account with right of survivorship clearly anticipated by Mrs. Hart and Mrs. McNeme here. For these reasons, I would reverse that portion of the trial court’s order regarding the Midland NCNB account, holding that it is owned by George Ann and David McNeme and is not a part of the estate of Anna Mae Hart.