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Chancel Repair Liability Insurance

16/07/2017

Chancel repair liability insurance: this is the insurance which indemnifies you against chancel repair liability. It is one of the main four property searches most often required by lenders when people apply for mortgages.

Chancel repair liability is a legal obligation on some property owners in England and Wales to pay for certain repairs to the local parish church. The historic right to impose these charges goes back many hundreds of years but came to prominence when a church won the right in the High Court in 2003 to impose a £100,000 charge on a landowner.*

This search is more accurately called an insurance policy – instead of searching for whether a property is in a parish where this charge can be imposed, a buyer is insured against any claims for chancel repair that may occur. Read on to find out the details of this search..

Book your Chancel Repair Liability Insurance - call 0333 344 3234

*The notable case of 2003 - Wallbank - which brought the chancel issue to prominence, concerned when Andrew and Gail Wallbank received a demand for almost £100,000 to fund repairs of their ecclesiastical parish's medieval church at Aston Cantlow. After a protracted legal battle, as they sought to challenge this ruling, the Law Lords found in favour of the Parochial Church Council, leaving the Wallbanks with a £350,000 bill including legal costs.

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Why do I need Chancel Repair Liability Insurance?

If you are buying a property with a mortgage, invariably a lender will require you to buy it or conduct a chancel repair liability search.

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Why don’t I just get a Chancel Repair Liability Search?

Getting chancel repair liability insurance saves you possibly having to pay twice. If you buy a chancel repair liability search, you may be lucky and find that you are not liable to pay it in the parish where your property is located. If you are not so lucky, you will then be expected to take out insurance against any future claims by a local church and insurance may be more expensive to get because of this knowledge. Taking out the insurance covers all bases.

How much am I covered for?

Insurance policies typically cover you for £1,000,000 which provides sufficient cover against most conceivable claims.

Who provides the cover?

Property search companies organise cover with insurers on your behalf.

Is it worth getting even if I am a cash buyer?

Yes – even though there is no requirement to get it, not to do so might potentially put you at risk of an unexpected bill for as much as hundreds of £1,000s; buying insurance is great for peace of mind!