8.  The applicant is an Italian company having its registered seat in Milan. 9.  Mrs C. was the owner of an apartment in Milan, which she had let to D.S. 10.  In a registered letter of 20 January 1987, she informed the tenant that she intended to terminate the lease on expiry of the term on 31 December 1987 and asked him to vacate the premises by that date. 11.  In a writ served on the heirs of the tenant, who had died in the meantime, on 25 February 1988, Mrs C. reiterated her intention to terminate the lease and summoned them to appear before the Milan Magistrate. 12.  By a decision of 24 March 1988, which was made enforceable on 29 March 1988, the Milan Magistrate upheld the validity of the notice to quit and ordered that the premises be vacated by 24 March 1989. 13.  On 25 July 1989, the applicant became the owner of the apartment. 14.  On 17 July 1990, the applicant served notice on the heirs, now tenants, requiring them to vacate the premises. 15.  On 5 October 1990, it served notice on the tenants informing them that the order for possession would be enforced by a bailiff on 15 October 1990. 16.  Between 15 October 1990 and 15 October 1996, the bailiff made twenty-one attempts to recover possession. Each attempt proved unsuccessful, as, under the statutory provisions on the staggering of evictions, the applicant was not entitled to police assistance in enforcing the order for possession. 17.  At the beginning of January 1997, the applicant repossessed the apartment as the tenants had spontaneously vacated the premises.