This search is commissioned to reveal whether or not the commercial property you are proposing to purchase may be affected by a potential “Chancel Repair” obligation to the local Parish Church. The obligations stem from the middle ages but can unfortunately have very modern ramifications. In the quite recent case of Aston Cantlow v Wallbank owners of a property subject to a chancel repair liability were ordered to pay £98,000 towards maintenance of a local church chancel. The legal fees involved in the dispute also ran into many hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Insurance against this risk is generally readily available for commercial properties if a risk is identified.
