8.  The applicant was born in 1927 and lives in Skarżysko-Kamienna, Poland. 9.  In 1984 the applicant’s father died. On 4 October 1985 W.S. (“the petitioner”) filed an application for distribution of the estate of the deceased with the Starachowice District Court (Sąd Rejonowy). The applicant was a party to the proceedings. 10.  From 23 November 1987 to 15 March 1988 the proceedings were stayed due to the death of one of the parties. Later, the petitioner instituted administrative proceedings and requested that title to the applicant’s father real property be declared null and void. As a result, on 27 November 1991 the court stayed the proceedings. On 12 February 1992 they were resumed. 11.  In the course of the proceedings the court held a number of hearings and obtained thirteen expert reports. On 24 October 1994 it gave a decision. The petitioner appealed. 12.  On 14 June 1995 the Kielce Regional Court (Sąd Wojewódzki) set aside the first-instance decision and remitted the case to the District Court. 13.  Subsequently, the trial court held hearings on the following dates: 16 January, 2 and 30 April 1996. On 31 October 1996 the court stayed the proceedings. The applicant appealed. On 21 December 1996 the court quashed the contested decision. 14.  The court held hearings on the following dates: 27 May, 16 September, 1 December 1997 and 16 January 1998. 15.  On 17 February 1998 the court stayed the proceedings, considering that the determination of the case depended on the outcome of the other civil proceedings. The applicant appealed. On 29 May 1998 the Kielce Regional Court upheld the decision of the District Court. 16.  On 4 August 1998 the applicant requested that the proceedings be resumed. On 20 October 2000 the court refused the applicant’s request as the petitioner had failed to secure an advance payment for an expert report. 17.  It appears that the proceedings are still stayed and, therefore, pending.