Is a chancel repair liability search necessary?

Preshusdynamite89

We are cash buyers, I know its therefore not necessary to carry out any searches however the chancel liability search is the one I believe to be the least necessary. Can anyone advise if its worth doing?

AnotherJoe

I paid for insurance rather than searches as IIRC it was cheaper. Probably wasted money but peace of mind.

GDB2222

Not my money either way.

Octothorpe

We just paid for an indemnity 

kasqueak

I also paid for an indemnity policy. Total waste of money of course. I believe chancel repair liability is a long outdated thing that needs to be addressed and the chances of the church trying to claim money from you are slim to none. I’m sure it’s just another way for companies to make some money and to make the house buying process another drawn out step longer!

Thrugelmir

Chancel repair liability hasn't been abolished nor are there any plans to. As a consequence the liability is very much real. If it's mentioned on Land Registry records. 

dj1471

Chancel Repair Liability now has to be registered with the Land Registry. Any property that is sold after 13 October 2013 without any liability being registered is protected from any future liability.

So no, you don’t need the search and only need to worry about it if a liability is registered against the title. If the property has not sold since the above date there remains a risk that a liability could be registered prior to completion, which is why conveyancers are still keen on indemnity policies.