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payment that is made in accordance with various sections of the
Act by a financial institution from an account at the request of
any depositor to the account and/or the agent of any depositor to
the account is to constitute a complete release and discharge of
the financial institution from all claims for the amount so paid
regardless of whether or not the payment is consistent with the
actual ownership of the funds deposited in an account by a
depositor and/or the actual ownership of the funds as between
depositors and/or their heirs, successors, personal representa-
tives, and assigns. RCWA 30.22.120 thus permits a financial
institution to assume that each of the persons listed on a joint
account has authority over all of the funds on deposit in such an
account unless the financial institution specifically knows of a
dispute regarding the funds.
Neither RCWA 30.22.120 nor RCWA 30.22.140 on which the
estate relies authorizes a joint account holder who is not the
actual owner of the funds in a joint account to withdraw funds
from the account. If funds on deposit in a joint account are
paid to or for a joint account holder who does not own the funds
and who is not authorized by the owner of the funds to withdraw
such funds for that purpose, the proper remedy is for the actual
owner to sue the joint account holder. See Kalk v. Security Pac.
Bank Wash. N.A., 866 P.2d 1276, 1278 (Wash. Ct. App. 1994), revd.
on other grounds 894 P.2d 559 (Wash. 1995). Such a right is
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