Couple faces police investigation over property fraud in Finland

Tapio Knuuttila and Pia Tapio-Knuuttila’s plans to sell their summer home sparked extensive renovations costing hundreds of thousands of euros and led to a police investigation. The situation arose after it was discovered by a real estate agent that the main building of the Knuuttilas’ property had not undergone the mandatory inspections required by law. When they purchased the property a few years earlier, the couple was unaware of these outstanding inspections.

The case was reported in January 2023, highlighting that thousands of other homes in Finland also lack final inspection documents. Eventually, the Knuuttilas’ property was deemed legal after a decision by the Sauvo Technical and Environmental Board last year, which stated that the municipality would not impose any requirements on buildings constructed before 1983, despite missing inspections.

The Knuuttilas purchased the summer home in autumn 2020, but the absence of a final inspection was not mentioned in the sales brochure or documented in the purchase agreement. Police are currently investigating five individuals for aggravated fraud, focusing on how the property was sold without complete information, causing significant harm to the owners. The preliminary investigation has been ongoing for nearly a year and a half, with a completion expected by the year’s end.

The couple has incurred extensive financial difficulties from the situation, spending hundreds of thousands on renovations but selling the property for approximately the same amount they paid—325,000 euros. Tapio Knuuttila has faced health issues related to the case, expressing frustration over the uncertainty of the investigation’s timeline and its impact on his recovery.