§ 54C-165. Joint accounts.
(a) Any two or more persons may open or hold a withdrawable account or accounts. The withdrawable account and any balance of the account is held by them as joint tenants, with or without right of survivorship, as the contract shall provide. The account may also be held under G.S. 41-2.1 and have incidents set forth in that section, but if the account is held under G.S. 41-2.1, the contract shall set forth that fact as well. Unless the persons establishing the account have agreed with the savings bank that withdrawals require more than one signature, payment by the savings bank to, or on the order of, any persons holding an account authorized by this section is a total discharge of the savings bank's obligation as to the amount so paid. Funds in a joint account established with the right of survivorship shall belong to the surviving joint tenant or tenants upon the death of a joint tenant, and the funds are subject only to the personal representative's right of collection as set forth in G.S. 28A-15-10(a)(3), or as provided in G.S. 41-2.1 if the account is established under that section. Payment by the savings bank of funds in the joint account to a surviving joint tenant or tenants shall terminate the personal representative's authority under G.S. 28A-15-10(a)(3) to collect against the savings bank for the funds so paid, but the personal representative's authority to collect the funds from the surviving joint tenant or tenants is not terminated. A pledge of a joint account by any one or more of the joint tenants, unless otherwise specifically agreed between the savings bank and all joint tenants in writing, shall be a valid pledge and transfer of the account or of the amount so pledged, shall be binding upon all joint tenants, shall not operate to sever or terminate the joint ownership of all or any part of the account, and shall survive the death of any joint tenant.
Persons establishing an account under this section shall sign a statement showing their election of the right of survivorship in the account, and containing language set forth in a conspicuous manner and substantially similar to the following:
We understand that by establishing a joint account under G.S. 54C-165 that:
1. The savings bank (or name of institution) may pay the money in the account to, or on the order of, any person named in the account unless we have agreed with the savings bank that withdrawals require more than one signature; and
2. Upon the death of one joint owner the money remaining in the account will belong to the surviving joint owners and will not pass by inheritance to the heirs of the deceased joint owner or be controlled by the deceased joint owner's will.
We DO elect to create the right of survivorship in this account.
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(a1) This section is not deemed exclusive. Deposit accounts not conforming to this section are governed by other applicable law as appropriate.
(b) This section does not repeal or modify any law relating to estate taxes. This section regulates and protects the savings bank in its relationships with the joint owners of deposit accounts.
(c) No addition to the account nor any withdrawal or payment shall affect the nature of the account as a joint account or affect the right of any tenant to terminate the account. (1991, c. 680, s. 1; 1998-69, s. 18; 2014-61, s. 3.)