8.  The applicant is the owner of an apartment in Florence, which he had let to A.B. 9.  In a registered letter of 26 March 1984, the applicant informed the tenant that he intended to terminate the lease on expiry of the term on 30 June 1986 and asked him to vacate the premises by that date. 10.  On 8 April 1986, he served a notice to quit on the tenant, but he refused to leave. 11.  In a writ served on the tenant on 22 April 1986, the applicant reiterated his intention to terminate the lease and summoned the tenant to appear before the Florence Magistrate. 12.  By a decision of 2 May 1986, which was made enforceable on 7 July 1986, the Florence Magistrate upheld the validity of the notice to quit and ordered that the premises be vacated by 30 June 1988. 13.  On 13 July 1988 and again on 13 May 1989, the applicant served notice on the tenant requiring him to vacate the premises. 14.  On 2 May 1989 the applicant made a statutory declaration that he urgently required the premises as accommodation for himself. 15.  On 17 June 1989 he served notice on the tenant informing him that the order for possession would be enforced by a bailiff on 7 August 1989. 16.  Between 7 August 1989 and 15 October 1996, the bailiff made fifteen attempts to recover possession. Each attempt proved unsuccessful, as the applicant was never granted the assistance of the police in enforcing the order for possession. 17.  On 7 April 1997, the applicant repossessed the premises.