The Third Appellate District reversed a judgment and remanded. The court held that a bank that did not conform with Prob. Code §5303 when it added a third party to a joint account without the consent of the original account holders could be held liable for breach of the account contract when the third party withdrew all of the money in the account.
In 1996, Dennis and Jackie Stevens opened a joint bank account with Tri Counties Bank that covered two preexisting deposit accounts. They both signed a multiparty signature card. Later, Jackie became ill and her sister, Nancy Wrinkle, helped care both for Jackie and for Jackie’s developmentally disabled adult daughter.
