New Delhi, Sept. 30 -- The Delhi High Court has ruled that merely living in a parent's house for several years or contributing money towards its construction and household expenses does not automatically give a child a legal share in the property.

The court dismissed an appeal filed by Amar Bahadur Singh and his wife, Sitara Devi, and upheld an order requiring them to vacate a property in Delhi's Karawal Nagar area.

The high court found that the couple had failed to establish any independent right, title or interest in the property.

The ruling is relevant to families where parents own a house but allow their children or other relatives to live there. It distinguishes between the right to reside in a family property and a legally establ...