6.  The applicant was born in 1945 and lives in Rome. 7.  He is the owner of a flat in Rome, which he had let to P.C. who lived with his sister L.C. 8.  In a registered letter of 22 June 1983, the applicant informed the tenant that he intended to terminate the lease on expiry of the term on 31 December 1983 and asked him to vacate the premises by that date. 9.  The tenant told the applicant that he would not leave the premises. 10.  In a writ served on the tenant on 28 October 1983, the applicant reiterated his intention to terminate the lease and summoned the tenant to appear before the Rome Magistrate. 11.  By a decision of 18 November 1983, which was made enforceable on the same day, the Rome Magistrate upheld the validity of the notice to quit and ordered that the premises be vacated by 31 December 1984. 12.  On 24 February 1986, the applicant served notice on the tenant's sister. 13.  In the meanwhile, the tenant had died and the applicant required the tenant's sister to vacate the premises. 14.  On 15 May 1986, the applicant served notice on the tenant's sister informing her that the order for possession would be enforced by a bailiff on 20 May 1986. 15.  Between 20 May 1986 and 16 December 1998, the bailiff made forty-nine attempts to recover possession. Each attempt proved unsuccessful, as the applicant was not entitled to police assistance in enforcing the order for possession. 16.  On 12 September 1998, the applicant made a statutory declaration that he urgently required the premises as accommodation for his son. 17.  Pursuant to section 6 of Law no. 431/98, the enforcement proceedings were suspended first until 28 June 1999 and then until 20 April 2000. 18.  On 13 October 2000, the applicant recovered possession of the flat.