Q.My father built a house and I contributed Rs.13 lakh of the Rs.20 lakh spent on its construction. What is the percentage of claim I should get?— R. Nayak

If the said property is in your father’s name, he is the sole owner and you have no right or claim over it. However, if you can prove your contribution to the development of the said property, you can claim a share in it. The percentage shall be decided by the court.

Q.My sister’s husband died two years ago, after which her inlaws stopped supporting her financially. Last year, her mother-in-law also passed away. Can she claim her husband’s share in her mother-inlaw’s property if she passed away without making a will? The properties are as under:
a. Residential apartment originally owned by her father-in-law’s mother and then given through a will to her mother-in-law.
b. Commercial property bought from the proceeds of the sale of her fatherin-law’s self-acquired property, but in her mother-in-law’s name. They are Hindus and my sister has a surviving brother-in-law and a sisterin-law as well.
— A. Sanghavi

Based on the information provided, the property derived by your sister’s mother-in-law, by virtue of a bequest through a will, shall be her absolute property as per Section 14 of the Hindu Succession Act 1956, and she can deal with it in any manner she wants. However, in case a female Hindu dies intestate, the children of her predeceased son can claim their father’s share in the same property, but the widow of the predeceased son cannot claim anything.

Q.My father-in-law inherited some immovable property from his ancestors. After his death, this property was transferred to my husband and his two brothers through a will written by my father-in-law. Their two sisters, who were not given any share in these properties in the will, voluntarily gave up their rights at the time of transfer of the property to the three brothers. Please advise if this property continues to remain an ancestral property in the name of my husband and his two brothers, or will it now be treated as self-acquired property since it was transferred through a will?
— M. Gaur

According to the facts provided here, if an ancestral property is divided, transferred and registered in the name of the successors, then the property transforms its character. The said property becomes the absolute property of its owners, as it gets transferred in their names.

Disclaimer:
The responses are based on limited facts provided by the queries. It is advisable to consult a legal practitioner after presenting full facts and documents. Responses should not be considered as legal advice in any manner whatsoever.