Legal
Chancel Repair Liability
Definition
A historic legal obligation that can require property owners near certain medieval churches to contribute to the cost of repairing the church chancel. Liability can run to tens of thousands of pounds. Chancel repair liability searches (around £25) or indemnity insurance (around £20–£50) protect against this risk.
Why it matters
This is an obscure but real risk — chancel repair claims have been enforced in modern courts. Most conveyancers include a search or insurance as standard, but it's worth checking, especially for properties near old parish churches.
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