6.  The applicants are the owners of an apartment in Florence, which they had let to E.F. 7.  In a writ served on the tenant on 2 November 1987, the applicants communicated their intention to terminate the lease and summoned the tenant to appear before the Florence Magistrate. 8.  By a decision of 30 November 1987, which was made enforceable on 5 January 1988, the Florence Magistrate upheld the validity of the notice to quit and ordered that the premises be vacated by 31 December 1988. 9.  On 20 May 1989, the applicants made a statutory declaration that they urgently required the premises as accommodation for themselves. 10.  On 7 June 1989, the applicants served notice on the tenant requiring her to vacate the premises. 11.  On 22 June 1989, they served notice on the tenant informing her that the order for possession would be enforced by a bailiff on 18 August 1989. 12.  Between 18 August 1989 and 10 September 1998, the bailiff made twenty attempts to recover possession. 13.  Each attempt proved unsuccessful, as the applicants were never granted the assistance of the police in enforcing the order for possession. 14.  Pursuant to Section 6 of Law no. 431 of 9 December 1998, the enforcement proceedings were suspended. 15.  The applicants have not recovered possession of their apartment.