5.  The applicant was born in 1945 and lives in Rome. 6.  A.C., the applicant's aunt, was the owner of a flat in Rome, which she had let to C.R. 7.  In a registered letter of 10 May 1985, A.C. informed the tenant that she intended to terminate the lease on expiry of the term on 30 April 1986 and asked her to vacate the premises by that date. 8.  In a writ served on the tenant on 10 July 1985, A.C. reiterated her intention to terminate the lease and summoned the tenant to appear before the Rome Magistrate. 9.  By a decision of 14 November 1985, which was made enforceable on the same day, the Rome Magistrate upheld the validity of the notice to quit and ordered that the premises be vacated by 31 May 1986. 10.  On 29 May 1986, A.C. served notice on the tenant requiring her to vacate the premises. 11.  On 24 July 1986, she informed the tenant that the order for possession would be enforced by a bailiff on 5 August 1986. 12.  Between 5 August 1986 and 20 November 1998, the bailiff made thirty-six attempts to recover possession. Each attempt proved unsuccessful, as A.C. was not entitled to police assistance in enforcing the order for possession. 13.  In the meanwhile, on 9 November 1998, A.C. died and her nephew, the applicant, inherited the apartment. 14.  On 22 July 1999, pursuant to Law no. 431/98, the tenant asked for a suspension of the enforcement proceedings. 15.  After that, on an unspecified day of 1999, the applicant became party to the national proceedings. 16.  The enforcement proceedings were suspended first until 30 May 2000 and then until 16 November 2000. 17.  On 30 January 2001, the tenant spontaneously left the premises and the applicant recovered possession of the flat.