4.  The applicants were born in 1950 and in 1949, respectively, and live in Matosinhos. 5.  On 16 March 2005 A.C. and M.L. instituted civil proceedings against the applicants and other four defendants before the Matosinhos Court seeking the payment of 11,843.48 euros (EUR) due to the alleged sale of a part of the plaintiffs’ property. 6.  On 29 March 2005 the applicants were summoned to challenge the action against them; which they did not. In the notification letter they were given notice that the lack of opposition would entail the confession of the facts pursuant to Article 484 § 1 of the Code of Civil Procedure (see paragraph 11 below). 7.  Between 21 April 2005 and 24 May 2013 several procedural steps took place either by action of the plaintiffs, the remaining defendants or the Matosinhos Court. In particular: on 21 April 2005 the remaining defendants contested the action; on 3 November 2005 the plaintiffs submitted observations in reply; on 17 October 2007 the plaintiffs lodged a request seeking the intervention of I.T. in the proceedings, which was admitted by the Matosinhos Court on 29 May 2009; on 15 December 2010 the judge gave directions concerning the matters to be discussed at the hearing (despacho saneador); on 21 March 2012, following I.T.’s death, the Matosinhos Court stayed the proceedings pending the outcome of inheritance proceedings. 8.  On 24 May 2013 the applicants submitted a power of attorney and requested that the case-file be uploaded to the legal platform “CITIUS” for consultation. 9.  On 10 January 2014 the applicants requested the participation of an expert of their own choosing in the preparation of the expert report which had been sought by the plaintiffs. On an unknown date the other defendants in the proceedings lodged an opposition to the applicants’ request. 10.  On 16 October 2015 the Matosinhos Court adopted a judgment in which it ruled in favour of the applicants.