At the stroke of Midnight on 12th October 2013, all Church of England Churches must have registered their right to claim Chancel Repair contributions against the titles of all properties that are affected by this ancient right.
At first sight this is good news for buyers because unless the potential liability appears on the Official Register Entries from the Land Registry, there will be no future liability.
However, specific liability will now be revealed rather than “potential” liability and this will mean further investigation and will probably mean, for most buyers, the need to cover themselves and any mortgagee of the property against liability or demands for payment in the future. Sellers will find they are asked to provide insurance as part of the transaction.
If you are thinking of selling or buying a property this year, and particularly if it is close to an old Church of England Church, we can advise as to how this might affect you.
