4.  The applicant, Renovit Építőipari Kft, is a Hungarian limited liability company, with its seat in Budapest. 5.  On 24 August 1990 the I. Company brought an action against the applicant company before the Budapest Regional Court, claiming compensation in the amount of 106,493 Hungarian forints (HUF). 6.  On 30 October 1991 the Regional Court accepted the plaintiff's claims. The applicant appealed on 6 December 1991. 7.  On 11 May 1994 the plaintiff's successor entered the proceedings. 8.  On 12 May 1994 the Supreme Court quashed the Regional Court's judgment and remitted the case to the first instance court. 9.  On 30 November 1994 the competent Pest Central District Court held a hearing and requested the plaintiff to specify its claims. On 15 December 1994 the plaintiff complied with this order and extended its action to include a second defendant. 10.  On 10 January 1995 the District Court requested the applicant to submit observations on the specified claims. The applicant complied with this order on 20 January 1995. 11.  On 8 March 1995 the District Court heard witnesses and requested the parties to submit further documents. The plaintiff and the applicant complied with this order on 9 March and 5 May 1995, respectively. 12.  The District Court held hearings on 16 May and 26 September 1995, and 12 January, 10 April and 14 May 1996. 13.  In the meantime, on 16 April and 26 August 1996, the court instructed the plaintiff to request that its legal predecessor be discharged from the proceedings. The plaintiff complied with the instruction on 20 September 1996. 14.  On 6 November 1996 none of the parties appeared at the hearing. Consequently, the District Court stayed the proceedings. 15.  On 8 April 1997 the plaintiff requested that the proceedings be continued. In the resumed proceedings, on 22 October 1997 the District Court held a hearing and requested the applicant to submit some documents. 16.  On 6 February and 14 May 1998 the District Court held further hearings. 17.  On 22 October 1998 the District Court delivered a judgment and ordered the applicant to pay HUF 106,493 to the plaintiff. The applicant appealed on 2 January 1999, outside the statutory time-limit. On 6 April 1999 the District Court decided to accept the applicant's explanation for the delay and transferred the case to the Budapest Regional Court. 18.  At the hearing on 4 May 2000 the Regional Court upheld the first-instance decision.