Court Orders Daughter-in-Law to Vacate Mother-in-Law’s Apartment by 2027

The Family Court in Petah Tikva recently ruled in favor of a woman who sued to evict her daughter-in-law, the estranged wife of her son, from an apartment she owns. The judge, Daniel Sheraz, rejected the daughter-in-law’s claim of joint ownership and ordered her to vacate the property by October 2027. The couple had lived in the mother-in-law’s apartment since 2009 until their separation, after which the husband left and the wife and children remained.

The mother-in-law filed the eviction suit in May last year, stating the apartment serves as her retirement asset, but the daughter-in-law refuses to leave or pay rent. The mother-in-law expressed regret over the situation, saying she had allowed them to live there out of care but now wants no contact with her son’s ex-wife and demands immediate evacuation.

The daughter-in-law argued she had specific shared ownership rights due to the long marriage, renovations made by the couple, and an alleged promise from the mother-in-law that the property belonged to them. She claimed she and her children were entitled to quiet residence. However, Judge Sheraz dismissed these claims, emphasizing that the dispute concerns the relationship between the daughter-in-law and the property owner, the mother-in-law, and that the daughter-in-law’s conduct did not reflect ownership.

The court noted the daughter-in-law had once offered to pay rent, indicating she did not view the apartment as her own. The judge also rejected her claim of an irrevocable license to reside there, stating the mother-in-law was entitled to revoke permission due to changed circumstances and the family conflict. The court ruled that the license was conditional on maintaining family harmony, which had broken down, allowing the mother-in-law to demand eviction.

Consequently, the eviction order was granted with a deadline of October 1, 2027. The daughter-in-law was also ordered to pay 7,500 shekels in legal fees to the mother-in-law. The case was handled by attorney Moshe Elharar for the plaintiff, with no attorney named for the defendant. The ruling was reported in cooperation with the Israeli legal website Piskdin.