India, Dec. 11 -- The Bombay High Court has ruled that simply calling flat buyers "special patron members" does not change the fact that they are flat purchasers under the Maharashtra Ownership of Flats Act (MOFA). Nor does this label take away their legal right to demand conveyance of the land and building.

The court upheld a deemed conveyance granted almost ten years ago to the Harshad Co-operative Housing Society. It said the "special patron" tag was only a nominal title "without any substance," especially since the buyers were never given basic rights that come with corporate membership, such as voting or attending meetings. In reality, they had always acted as ordinary flat buyers protected by MOFA.

Justice Amit Borkar held that MO...