8.  The applicants were born in 1952 and 1961 respectively and live in Prato. 9.  The applicants are the owners of an apartment in Florence, which they had let to M.P. 10.  In a writ served on the tenant on 4 June 1985, the applicants communicated their intention to terminate the lease and summoned the tenant to appear before the Florence Magistrate. 11.  By a decision of 24 June 1985, which was made enforceable on 1 July 1985, the Florence Magistrate upheld the validity of the notice to quit and ordered that the premises be vacated by 31 August 1987. 12.  On 29 September 1987, the applicants served notice on the tenant requiring him to vacate the premises. 13.  On 21 October 1987, they served notice on the tenant informing him that the order for possession would be enforced by a bailiff on 27 November 1987. 14.  Between 27 November 1987 and 13 April 1989, the bailiff made four attempts to recover possession. 15.  On 29 May 1989, the applicants made a statutory declaration that they urgently required the premises as accommodation for themselves. 16.  Between 11 October 1989 and 13 February 1997, the bailiff made nineteen attempts to recover possession. Each attempt proved unsuccessful, as the applicants were never granted the assistance of the police in enforcing the order for possession. 17.  On 29 April 1997, the applicants repossessed the premises with the assistance of the police.