My grandmother, who was a Yadav, owned a room in our pagdi system house near Khetwadi, Girgaon. Unfortunately, she passed away recently and we have her death certificate. The landlord knows our family is Gaikwad, but he’s asking for Rs. 2 lakh to transfer the room to our name. It feels unfair – what can we do?

Since your grandmother owned the room and you have her death certificate, you can apply for a transfer of ownership in her name. The landlord has no right to charge a fee for this process, which is a legal inheritance under the Pagdi system and governed by the Bombay Rents, Hotel and Lodging House Rates Control Act, 1947. You can consult a lawyer to understand the process and contest any unlawful demands.