4.  The applicants were born in 1938, 1940 and 1961 respectively. The first two applicants live in Dolni Dabnik and the third applicant lives in Sofia. The first two applicants are the third applicant’s parents. 5.  In 1990 the three applicants bought from the State a flat in Sofia measuring 144 square metres, which had become property of the State by virtue of the nationalisations carried out by the communist regime after 1945. 6.  In 1992 the heir of the pre-nationalisation owner of the flat brought an action against the applicants under section 7 of the Restitution Law, seeking to establish that their title was null and void. She also brought a rei vindicatio claim against them. 7.  The proceedings ended with a final judgment of the Supreme Court of Cassation on 22 June 2004. The domestic courts dealing with the proceedings allowed both actions against the applicants. In relation to the action under section 7 of the Restitution Law, the courts found the applicants’ title null and void, since they had bought their flat in breach of the law: the area where the flat was located had been earmarked for the construction of buildings of more than three storeys, and the applicants’ building was of two storeys; and the legislation at the time prohibited the sale of flats in such buildings. 8.  It appears that on an unspecified date after that the applicants applied for compensation bonds; however, the parties have not informed the Court of the outcome of the procedure. 9.  In 2005 the applicants brought a tort action against the Sofia municipality (which was the legal successor of the State with regard to residential property). On 20 January 2010 the Sofia City Court allowed their claim. That judgment was quashed on 4 November 2010 by the Sofia Court of Appeal, which dismissed the claim in its entirety. In a final judgment of 4 April 2012 the Supreme Court of Cassation, finding that the applicants were only entitled to receive the price they had paid for the flat in 1990, which had devalued enormously over the years, awarded them the equivalent of about 12 euros (EUR).