I recently instructed solicitors to do conveyancing on a house purchase and as part of the services offered they asked if we wanted a search conducting to see if we were in a "risk area" for chancel repairs (which, as far as I can gather, is a medieval law requiring the members of a particular diocese to pay for the upkeep of a local church)

Anyway, I decided not to pay for the privelege and I have now had a letter from them which suggests they've done a search anyway (which I will not be paying for) and …. surprise surprise an "independent chancel insurance specialist" says that we are in a risk area and we could be liable for a whopping great bill up to £100,000!.

They want about £100 plus vat to insure against any future liabilty. Further to that, my solicitor has advised against me contacting the dioces myself to ask them outright whether they intend to ask for chancel repairs before the deadline in 2013!

I can't help feel that someone is trying to get a hundred and odd quid out of me for sod all?

Has anyone ever heard of anyone who has been asked by the diocese to stump up an enormous sum of money because they didn't have chancel insurance??

I honestly think that in todays multi cultural society the church wouldn't have a cat in hells chance of getting money from a family of Muslims, Sikhs, Buddists or (in my case) Devout Aethiests!

I believe there were a few rare cases which is where the insurance companies came up with the idea of making money from it.

My solicitor came up with this as well, but as my brother goes to the parish church he asked the right person in the church about it. From memory, they said it did not exist any more (in my case). I think it did x years ago when the church was built and the local land was owned by the church, but it no longer does. Anyway, the church person, might have been the vicar, but don't think so, wrote a letter confirming they would never claim it.

I think if you bought the vicarage and there were only a couple of houses in the parish, then there could be a very very small chance of getting caught out, but if you are just buying a regular house in a large parish, the chances are very slim and not worth worrying about – in my opinion.

cheers. that's my suspicion too.

I'm a bit peed off with the brief TBH cos I made a point of telling him I didn't want the search doing. not had chance to speak to him yet. just let him try to bill me for it 😈

I wonder if the Church Commissioners would ever try to get money for this or if it's not their responsibility – they are obliged to do what's best for the church financially.

I'm not sure. it is an old law and I can imagine there being an interestng legal arguement from people of differing faiths if it was tried today.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/oct/21/homeinsurance-insurance

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/oct/21/homeinsurance-insurance

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yeah there've been a few cases of it recently coming up – a friend was telling me the other day that the investment properties the company he works for now insist on checking the situation for it in the due diligence process for any properties they acquire.

Religious nonsense 1 : People going to heaven over that one 0.

Can't wait for the first mosque or similar to try the same. I really can't believe that we're such martyrs to the dominant religion.
I'd have told them to **** off loudly and proudly in the sunday service for that one.

The law does exist and is pennies considering the possible liabilities, it's £100 why take the risk.

Possible claim £xxx,000 against a one off premium of £100 I'd say pay it as obviously the property is at risk of a claim over the next few years. Plus there is always a chance that your solicitor knows something they cannot tell you (the commission, if any, they would receive just does not make it worth pushing a junk policy on you).