Hämeenlinna imposes €257,000 in fines over unauthorized buildings

Hämeenlinna has ordered tourism entrepreneur Tuomas Honkajuuri to demolish unauthorized structures at Kirstula Manor, threatening €257,000 in fines if he fails to comply, Yle reports.

The city’s building board issued the order Tuesday, targeting a lakeside sauna, a beach café, toilet and shower facilities, and parking spaces for caravans and mobile homes. The fines—among the highest imposed by the city—are fixed and will apply if the structures are not removed by the deadline.

City officials state the area lacks a valid zoning plan or building rights, and that existing building rights have already been exhausted. Repeated warnings since 2022, including a 2022 order to halt construction of the café, have gone unheeded. Honkajuuri has not responded to multiple hearing notices, according to the city.

Honkajuuri argues the structures are largely mobile or designed to be relocatable, including container-based facilities and modular units. He notes that a zoning plan to permit development is already under preparation, with the process delayed only by unresolved access road improvements for which he has now offered to cover the estimated €15,000–20,000 cost.

The city maintains that the ongoing zoning process does not prevent the imposition of fines. Building control chief Timo Lahti described the violations as serious due to their repeated nature, the sensitive shoreline location, and the economic benefit derived from the unauthorized use.