WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — Whitehall Township’s treasurer and tax collector is now facing criminal charges over a dispute with her neighbor.

It all has to do with a 9-foot by 9-foot greenhouse in her neighbor’s backyard, and authorities allege she used her official position as tax collector to harass that neighbor, Mary Ellen Griffin. We stopped by Griffin’s house, where she showed us her greenhouse. She said her son built it for her last year.

“He decided to come out one day and build me a greenhouse, and I was taken aback by it, because he worked real hard on it,” said Griffin.

But she said it wasn’t long before Koren reported her for building without a permit.

“We got a letter in the mail from the Township, stating that we had to possibly tear it down or go to the Township,” said Griffin.

Griffin said it was annoying, but she eventually got that permit. But soon after, she got another letter, this time from Koren directly, alleging Griffin was operating a business on her property.

“I’ve been in business 30 years in Allentown, and now all of a sudden I get this tax, and I’m thinking oh my gosh is this retroactive? What’s happening?” said Koren.

Griffin is the Director of the non-profit The Caring Place, which offers a variety of services for kids in Allentown, but she said she wasn’t conducting business in the greenhouse. She just brought some children there for a free field trip.

“Why would you attack my business? You clearly see there’s no business here, other than the kids coming here, and that’s not a business. I can have people on my own property,” said Griffin.

According to Whitehall Police, Koren sent so many tax notices to Griffin, she’s now charged with harassment. Her attorney, Michael Donahue, said in a statement:

“Ms. Koren is innocent, and she categorically denies that she committed any crime. These allegations mischaracterize Ms. Koren’s good-faith performance of her public duties to collect a $35.00 business license fee on behalf of the township.”

Griffin said she didn’t even want charges filed. She just wants to be left alone.

“I want peace. That’s all I want,” said Griffin.

Koren now has a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 14th. In the meantime, she was right back at work Wednesday at the Township administration building.