A public purchase witness serves as the certifying authority when a transfer document is signed in real estate transfer transactions. The transfer can be a contract of sale, an exchange or a gift, for example. A pre-contract for a contract of sale also requires certification by a public purchase witness. Public purchase witnesses of the City of Helsinki's Real Estate Formation Unit certify real estate transfers from all of Finland based on their official position.
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You can order a public purchase witness and ask about purchase certification by emailing or directly contacting public purchase witnesses.
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A public purchase witness:
- provides information and advice on real estate formation procedures and how to initiate a building permit process
- checks that the transfer document fulfils the minimum legal requirements before certification if the orderer submits a transfer document draft in advance by email, for example
- reports the data of the transfer to the National Land Survey of Finland
- initiates the registration of title to property application process on behalf of the purchaser if so agreed in the certification process (included in the service and certification fee)
- provides advice on how a registration of title to property is applied for
- charges a EUR 138 fee as determined in the decree on public purchase witness services, as well as travel costs
- does not certify possession division maps or contracts
- does not certify leasehold transactions that do not require certification by a public purchase witness.
The public purchase witness shall check the identity of the signatories of the transfer document and ensure that the transfer document fulfils the legal requirements. The signatories shall be able to prove their identity.
- The transfer document shall contain at least the following information:
- the purpose of the transfer,
- the transferred real estate or parcel thereof in detail (real property unit identification number),
- the transferor(s) and the transferee(s),
- the transfer price or other compensation unless the transfer is a gift or a pre-contract.
- The orderer of the certification shall take care of printing the required number of transfer documents to be certified and attachment maps, if required.
- If the transferred item is a parcel of land, the area shall be marked clearly on maps, with one copy of each attached to each transfer document.
- The public purchase witness shall mark the certification on each transfer document.
- The public purchase witness shall check the information of the real estate in the registration of title to property and mortgage register and the real estate register.
The public purchase witness shall mark the certification on each transfer document as follows:
“I hereby testify as a public purchase wittness that (name of seller) as the transferor / on behalf of the transferor and (name of buyer) as the transferee / on behalf of the transferee have signed this transfer document and that they were simultaneously present as the transfer was certified. I have checked the identity of the signatories and verified that the transfer document was prepared in the manner prescribed in Chapter 2 Clause 1 of the Code of Real Estate.”
Place and date
Signature of public purchase witness
Name in block letters
Position
ID number of public purchase witness