CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – A local attorney has stepped in to help the tenants of Blue Grass Meadows apartment complex, who were given a short notice to remove their personal belongings and vehicles from the property.

On Tuesday, tenants were informed through emails that all personal belongings and vehicles had to be removed by Thursday and anything remaining after the deadline would be discarded, and vehicles left in the parking lot would be towed. The apartment complex management said it planned to begin restoration work on the tornado-damaged apartments Thursday afternoon.

Rosemary Calcese, owner and attorney of Calcese Law, with the help of fellow attorney Sherry Phillips, decided to take matters into her own hands when she heard that the residents of the severely damaged apartment complex off of Tiny Town Road had to scramble, many with no way to make that happen.

Thursday morning, it was a race against the clock as Calcese got in touch with Therese Swanson, a tenant of Blue Grass Meadows, and took on her case pro bono.

At the courthouse, Calcese and Swanson stood before Judge Reid Poland and petitioned for a temporary injunction and restraining order against GVA Clarksville.

Judge Poland agreed, and all legal work was finished before the 1 p.m. deadline.

“Whatever his (CEO of GVA) understanding was, he violated multiple laws and rules,” Calcese said. “Putting somebody on notice that they have to remove their personal property within five days of a disaster is improper. Period. You get more time under an eviction or an abandonment.”

After Calcese and Swanson’s success in court, the property will remain frozen from GVA’s control for a minimum of 14 days. Calcese expects that GVA may reach out to negotiate.

“It just takes a village to live. Thankfully, Clarksville Now put that out there, and we were able to help Therese and several other families,” Calcese said. “That just goes to Clarksville, and what we have here at all different levels, from journalists, to lawyers to the storage unit person.”

“Together, we can help people when they can’t help themselves.”

UPDATE: Clarksville Now news partner, WKRN Channel 2, captured the tense moments the tenants were told to get out, and a man, allegedly on the phone with the complex owner, nearly ran the news crew over.