8.  The applicant is an Italian national, born in 1956 and living in Florence. 9.  The applicant is the owner of an apartment in Florence, which she had let to P.R. and A.R.Z. 10.  In a registered letter of 7 June 1989, the applicant informed the tenants that she intended to terminate the lease on expiry of the term on 15 December 1989 and asked them to vacate the premises by that date. 11.  On 8 June 1989, she served a notice to quit on the tenants, but they refused to leave. 12.  In a writ served on the tenants on 21 October 1989, the applicant reiterated her intention to terminate the lease and summoned the tenants to appear before the Florence Magistrate. 13.  By a decision of 20 November 1989, which was made enforceable on 27 November 1989, the Florence Magistrate upheld the validity of the notice to quit and ordered that the premises be vacated by 15 December 1990. 14.  On 18 December 1990, the applicant made a statutory declaration that she urgently required the premises as accommodation for herself. 15.  On 28 December 1990, the applicant served notice on the tenants requiring them to vacate the premises. 16.  On 22 January 1991, she served notice on the tenants informing them that the order for possession would be enforced by a bailiff on 6 February 1991. 17.  Between 6 February 1991 and 27 February 2000, the bailiff made twenty-one 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. 18.  On 15 March 2001, the applicant recovered possession of the apartment.