In 1998, L.D. Hare opened a checking account at Austin Bank…he added his son, Larry W. Hare, to the … account.

After a short hearing, the trial court found that the account should pass through probate because the evidence was insufficient to prove that the parties had created a joint account with the right of survivorship.

Ownership of funds held in a multiple party account after the death of a party is determined by statute. In essence, the requirements for the creation of a right of survivorship to a joint account are: 1) a written agreement, 2) signed by the decedent, 3) which specifies that his interest “survives” to the other party.

Here, the signature card constitutes a written agreement and it was signed by the decedent…Thus, the first two requirements for creation of a right of survivorship were met.

(T)he signature card is the only evidence presented in support of the existence of a right of survivorship. Although the card includes a notice provision warning that the type of account chosen may affect how property passes upon the death of an account holder, the notice is incomplete.

The signature card indicates an attempt to create a right of survivorship. However, no document was produced in evidence stating that the ownership interest of a deceased joint owner will belong to the surviving parties upon his death. Without such explanatory language, the agreement, whether in the form of a signature card or a different format, fails to confer a right of survivorship upon the surviving party.

Hare did not meet his burden to prove that the joint account holders created a right of survivorship in compliance with the Texas Estates Code.