The owner of Construction Clearance in Lansford says the borough has been unwilling to talk about problems in the former Silberline buildings it rents.

Borough council this week voted to evict the business from the three buildings it rents, citing the firm is behind on payments.

Julia Atiyeh, the 28-year-old entrepreneur behind the home building supply outlet based in the former Panther Valley Lumber building, said Thursday the borough isn’t responding to her.

She sent two letters to the borough with no reply. Her business has lost inventory stored in the Silberline buildings, one of which she no longer uses because of health issues her employees suffered, she said.

Water pools on the floors of the buildings and rains down on merchandise, which continually has to be moved to avoid damage, Atiyeh said.

“We want to emphasize that the borough has previously given verbal assurances regarding the resolution of these issues, but regrettably, no tangible actions have been taken to address them,” Atiyeh wrote in a letter dated Oct. 9. She previously wrote to the borough on July 26.

The second letter asks for a resolution within 14 days or the company will have to terminate the lease, leave and hold the borough responsible for the cost of the move. The company enclosed payment for the usable portion of the building with additional funds placed in escrow.

The borough did take action two days later, and that was to move forward with an eviction.

“I don’t think there’s a need to evict,” Atiyeh said. “I think we’re going to leave.”

She said if she does have to move out of the former Silberline buildings, she plans to sue the borough for the damages, which will be far more costly than the funds being withheld.

“We’re talking about $2,000 here,” Aityeh said.

She does not want to go that route, and said she continues to be open for discussion with the borough.

Atiyeh, who also owns The 80s Bar on West Patterson Street and 150 rental units in northeastern Pennsylvania, said she chose to invest in the borough of Lansford.

Earlier this year, she also purchased a property at 362 W. Patterson St., the former Kiddie Kloes garment factory, which is across from the Panther Valley Stadium.

Atiyeh planned to convert the large, brick building which began as silk mill 1910, into apartments and use the first floor as retail space, she said.

Now, that building may become a warehouse for Construction Clearance, she said.

The sale of the Patterson Street property to Atiyeh came with conditions, including clearing weeds, securing the property, fixing windows or boarding them up, and demolition of a furnace, or boiler room.

Council President Bruce Markovich said this week that Atiyeh did not comply with all of those conditions. She said that she complied with 90%, and is appealing others.

The old mill on Patterson has also listed for sale with an asking price of $465,000, according to online real estate listings. Markovich said that the borough could stop any sale due to continued violations.

Atiyeh said she finds the current situation upsetting, and would like to see repairs done on the borough-owned buildings that she is renting.

Following council’s decision, Markovich said that Construction Clearance rented the Silberline buildings, “as is,” and the company was aware of the water situation before leasing.