New Delhi, Oct. 25 -- The Kerala High Court recently declared a woman the exclusive owner of a house registered jointly in her and her husband's names after finding that her father had funded the purchase, while her husband failed to provide evidence to substantiate his claim that he had contributed towards buying the house.

The ruling, pronounced on September 26, highlights how the source of funds used to buy a property can become a decisive factor in ownership disputes, even when both spouses are named on the registered sale deed.

The dispute involved a residential property in Kerala's Manjeri Municipality. As per court filings available online, the woman's father had contributed Rs.30 lakh towards its purchase, including money raised...