Marquis

History

The chronology of events which led up to and precipitated the litigation at bench is as follows:

On June 5, 1945, Laura A. Jones (hereinafter Jones), a resident of Los Angeles, who had previously (in 1936) opened a savings account with defendant-respondent State Mutual Savings and Loan Association (hereinafter Savings and Loan Assoc.), received, along with her new passbook, a document entitled “Accumulative Investment Certificate No. 36285.” The certificate was duly dated and signed by an authorized representative of defendant Savings and Loan Assoc. She (Jones) from time to time deposited various sums of money in her savings account.

On January 12, 1951, Jones died. The balance in her savings account with defendant Savings and Loan Assoc, at the time of her death was $3,090.68. Shortly thereafter an action entitled “In the Matter of the Estate of Laura A. Jones, Deceased,” was filed in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County and was a matter of public record. Pursuant to her will, the estate was administered by Citizens National Trust and Savings *870 Bank of Los Angeles (now Crocker National Bank), named as executor of her will.

On February 20, 1952, by the…