Chancel Repair Liability

What is Chancel Repair Liability?

Chancel Repair Liability ReportChancel Repair Liability is a law dating back to medieval times when the country was under the reign of Henry VIII. Chancel Repair Liability was the monarch’s decision to dissolve the monasteries when he made himself the supreme head of the Church of England in 1534 and he imposed that churches were to be maintained by wealthy land owners. Before then, many monasteries employed a rector who was responsible for repairing the Churches.

Since then, the large estates of land have been broken down and developed into multiple private residences, however the Chancel Repair Liability, in many instances, has been passed down to the new properties. Chancel Repair Liability Law benefits around 5,200 pre-reformation churches in England and Wales and Under the Land Registration Act 1925, Chancel Repair Liability is classified as an overriding interest in registered land. This means Chancel Repair Liability still exists without the land being registered.

What happens if my property has Chancel Repair Liability?

Chancel Repair Liability can mean that property owners could be liable to pay for repairs to the local church, with bills potentially running into tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds. Some vicars call it a godsend but it has been known that a Chancel Repair Liability has cost one couple over £200,000 towards the upkeep of their parish church. These homeowners that are under the Chancel Repair Liability Law are called lay rectors.

It is estimated that Chancel Repair Liability land accounts for 40% of all land in England and Wales but there’s no single central register which can be used to identify all Chancel Repair Liability land.

What can I do about Chancel Repair Liability?

Pali can provide you with a Chancel Repair Liability Report where the properties deeds are checked along with the Land Registry and current landowners for relevant information. A Chancel Repair Liability search of the records will help to identify the likelihood of Chancel Repair Liability in respect of a given property as well as the proportion of the total cost to be paid in respect of each liable property. The actual amount to be paid cannot be known until repairs are carried out and their costs established.

How can I purchase a Chancel Repair Liability Report?

You can purchase a ChancelCheck Chancel Repair Liability Report from Pali which informs you if a property is liable for Chancel Repair Liability. There are two reports that can come back from the Chancel Repair Liability Report. The first is a certificate which puts the purchaser/vendor in the clear and the second is a report which confirms that there is the real potential to be held liable. If this is the case, insurance can then be purchased from Pali to cover the owner of the property in the event of a claim.

Contact Pali to order your Chancel Repair Liability Report at just £24!

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