claiming onership of property after residing there...

Hello all
I'm from NC and had a question. I am buying a house here and possibly having my girlfriend move in with me. I heard that if she lives there an extended amount of time that she may be able to lay claim as an owner of the property is that true?

Your seeming simple question involves a host of complex laws relating to adverse possession, statutes of frauds, marital property, etc.

But suffice it to say that as long as the person is occupying the home with the consent of the owner and the owner has not signed a document purporting to transfer an interest in the home and the owner and the occupant do not intermarry, then that individual would acquire no vested or provable property rights in the home.

Not even if the person contributed to the living expenses, including the mortage payments, would they acquire an ownership interest.