4.  The applicant was born in 1942 and lives in Rome. 5.  He is the owner of a flat in Rome, which he had let to I.M. 6.  In a registered letter of 30 April 1987, the applicant informed the tenant that he intended to terminate the lease on expiry of the term on 31 December 1987 and asked her to vacate the premises by that date. 7.  In a writ served on the tenant on 6 October 1987, the applicant reiterated his intention to terminate the lease and summoned the tenant to appear before the Rome Magistrate. 8.  By a decision of 10 February 1988, which was made enforceable on 26 February 1988, the Rome Magistrate upheld the validity of the notice to quit and ordered that the premises be vacated by 31 December 1988. 9.  On 22 March 1991, the applicant served notice on the tenant requiring her to vacate the premises. 10.  On 30 April 1991, he informed the tenant that the order for possession would be enforced by a bailiff on 14 June 1991. 11.  On 14 May 1991, the applicant made a statutory declaration that he urgently required the premises as accommodation for himself. 12.  Between 14 June 1991 and 21 September 1999, the bailiff made thirty-seven 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. 13.  Pursuant to Section 6 of Law no. 431/98, the tenant asked the Rome District Court to set a new date for the enforcement of the order for possession. The date was set for 19 July 2000. 14.  On 10 July 2001, the tenant spontaneously left the premises and the applicant recovered possession of the flat.