Cancel Parish

[fransisco]

Has anyone come across ' Chancel Parish' when selling their property which involves buying an indemnity insurance, but, which wasn't there when they bought the property, is this a new idea?

[dzug]

It's actually a very old idea (the chancel charge) though insurance against having to pay it is relatively new.

I suspect many people thought the charge was no longer enforceable, but someone was virtually bankrupted recently fighting it and had to pay.

[buildersmate]

Yes, as Dzug says, its not new. Its something to do with the owner of a property having a liability to the local church to help with upkeep of the parish church. An ancient ecclesiastical law.