Estonia May Sell Russians' Property to Cover Debts on Utility Bills, Interior Ministry Says

HELSINKI (Sputnik) - Russian citizens' real estate in Estonia may be sold in case the owners fail to pay utility bills, Veiko Kommusaar, an undersecretary for internal security, law enforcement and migration policy of the interior ministry, said on Friday.

On August 18, Estonia banned the entry of Russian citizens with a Schengen visa issued in Estonia, whose goal is tourism, business, sports or culture. The ban also includes Russians, who own real estate in Estonia. Local banks have stopped accepting payments from Russia, making it harder for the owners to pay utility bills.

"If a person really finds himself in a situation where he cannot manage the property and creates a debt, in the most extreme case, the apartment can be sold to cover the debt," Kommusaar told the state radio station Radio 4.

Russian citizens who do not have access to their real estate in Estonia can manage it through third parties, according to the official.

"People who purchase housing in other countries should consider in advance whether they can always have access to this property. Yes, it is now a difficult issue to make bank transfers. If there is a person or firm that is willing to look after this property, I think there is a way to negotiate a postponement of payment," Kommusaar noted.

Russian citizens own 41,351 real estate objects in Estonia, while Belarusian citizens own 919. Although the majority of Russian real estate owners live in Estonia with a residence permit, about 12% of them, or 4,500 people, need a visa to visit Estonia and will lose access to their property due to a visa ban, according to the Estonian interior ministry.

Earlier this week, Estonian Interior Minister Lauri Laanemets announced the preparation of a law restricting the right of Russian citizens to buy real estate in the country.