4.  The applicants were respectively born in 1938, 1943 and 1948 and live in Rome. 5.  The applicants' father was the owner of a flat in Rome, which he had let to C.C. 6.  In a writ served on the tenant on 24 January 1984, the applicants' father informed the tenant that he intended to terminate the lease on expiry of the term and summoned him to appear before the Rome Magistrate. 7.  By a decision of 17 April 1984, which was made enforceable on 2 May 1984, the Rome Magistrate upheld the validity of the notice to quit and ordered that the premises be vacated by 16 April 1985. 8.  On 10 March 1985, the applicants' father served notice on the tenant requiring him to vacate the premises. 9.  On 3 April 1987, the applicants' father served notice on the tenant informing him that the order for possession would be enforced by a bailiff on 12 May 1987. 10.  On 14 February 1992, the applicants' father died and they inherited the flat. Subsequently they became parties to the eviction proceedings. 11.  Between 12 May 1987 and 15 February 2000, the bailiff made fifty-seven attempts to recover possession. Each attempt proved unsuccessful, as neither the applicants' father nor themselves were entitled to police assistance in enforcing the order for possession. 12. On an unspecified date in February 2000, reaching an agreement with the tenant, the applicants recovered possession of the flat.