Finland Times

Hundreds of thousands of Finns do not claim inheritance and let what is left behind by the deceased in the hands of collective ownership, reported the Finnish language daily Etelä-Suomen Sanomat on Sunday.

The arrangement can continue for decades and even for hundreds of years, since there is no compulsion to distribute the estate.

According to the report, about 50,000 new estates come about in the country.

Currently, more than 280,000 estates are left undistributed. According to the Finnish Tax Administration, about a sixth of the estate property remains undistributed.

According to the Taxpayers’ Association of Finland (TAF), the estate is often left untouched, because of the need to respect the wish of the widow or the widower.

The estate may also not interest the heirs, because of the modest or high value it represents.