Terms & Conditions

1. Who we are

Jane Hay Limited, trading as Jane Hay Searches, is a company registered in England and Wales (company number 5652905) with its registered office at 47 Hamilton Square, Birkenhead, Wirral CH41 5AR. References to 'we', 'us' and 'our' are to Jane Hay Limited.

2. These terms

These terms apply to every order you place with us. By placing an order you accept them. Where we have agreed separate written terms with your firm, those terms take precedence to the extent of any conflict.

3. Our services

We compile and supply property searches and reports. Some are produced by us; others are obtained from third parties including local authorities, water undertakers, the Coal Authority, HM Land Registry and specialist data providers. Where a report is produced by a third party, that party's own terms and liability arrangements apply to it, and we will supply those terms on request.

4. Placing an order

An order is accepted when we confirm it. You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you give us, in particular the property address, postcode and extent. Where an order is based on incorrect information supplied to us, any re-order is chargeable.

5. Timescales

Any timescale we give is an estimate based on current experience. Searches requiring a response from a local authority, water undertaker or other third party are subject to that body's own timescales, which are outside our control. We will keep you informed and chase on your behalf.

6. Fees and payment

Fees are as quoted at the time of order. Where an account is held, we invoice monthly and payment is due within the period stated on the invoice. Disbursements payable to third parties are passed on at cost unless stated otherwise. We reserve the right to suspend service on overdue accounts.

7. Cancellation

You may cancel an order before it is lodged with a third party at no charge. Once lodged, the fee is payable, since we will have incurred it. Where you are a consumer, your statutory cancellation rights are unaffected — see clause 12.

8. The Search Code

We subscribe to the Search Code, which is monitored and enforced by the Property Codes Compliance Board, and we are registered with The Property Ombudsman. Nothing in these terms limits the protections the Search Code gives you.

9. Liability

We will carry out our services with reasonable care and skill. We maintain professional indemnity insurance appropriate to the searches we supply, and details of the level of cover are available on request.

We do not exclude or limit liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded. Subject to that, our liability in connection with any order is limited to the level of our professional indemnity cover in force at the relevant time.

A search reports the information available from the sources searched at the date of the search. It is not a survey, a valuation, or a guarantee about the condition of a property, and it does not report matters that are not recorded by the bodies searched.

10. Reliance

Reports are supplied for the purpose of the transaction for which they were ordered. Where a third party wishes to rely on a report, the terms of the report itself govern whether and how they may do so.

11. Data protection

We process personal data in accordance with UK data protection law and our privacy policy, which forms part of these terms.

12. Consumers

Where you order as a consumer rather than in the course of a business, you have a statutory right to cancel within 14 days of the contract being formed. If you ask us to begin work within that period, you may be charged for what has been supplied. Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights.

13. Complaints

Our complaints procedure is published on this website. If we cannot resolve a complaint, you may refer it to The Property Ombudsman free of charge.

14. Governing law

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction.

Last updated 4 September 2026.