7.  The applicants are the owners of an apartment in Florence, which they had let to A.R. 8.  In a registered letter of 18 April 1991, the applicants informed the tenant that they intended to terminate the lease on expiry of the term on 31 December 1991 and asked her to vacate the premises by that date. 9.  In a writ served on the tenant on 27 September 1991, the applicants reiterated their intention to terminate the lease and summoned the tenant to appear before the Florence Magistrate. 10.  By a decision of 28 October 1991, which was made enforceable on 8 November 1991, the Florence Magistrate upheld the validity of the notice to quit and ordered that the premises be vacated by 31 December 1992. 11.  On 25 January 1993, the applicants served notice on the tenant requiring her to vacate the premises. 12.  On 3 March 1993, they served notice on the tenant informing her that the order for possession would be enforced by a bailiff on 30 March 1993. 13.  On 30 July 1993, the applicants made a statutory declaration that they urgently required the premises as accommodation for the third applicant. 14.  Between 30 March 1993 and 23 September 1999, the bailiff made fourteen 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. 15.  On 28 March 1997, the second applicant made a statutory declaration that he urgently required the premises as accommodation for his son. 16.  On 2 August 1999, the tenant requested the Florence Magistrate (according to art. 6 L. 431/98) to set a fresh date for the enforcement of the order. 17.  On 16 October 2000, the Florence Magistrate set the enforcement of the order for 15 May 2002.