A legal dispute involving developer Lou Pektor and contractor Ronald C. Check Jr. has escalated from a lawsuit into a situation that may lead to a sheriff’s sale at the River Pointe Commerce Center in Upper Mount Bethel Township. Court records from Northampton County indicate that Check filed a lawsuit against Pektor and several associated companies in August 2023, claiming nonpayment of $500,000 for services rendered during a development project.
On October 15, 2023, Check was awarded a default judgment after Pektor failed to respond to the lawsuit. Subsequently, a writ of execution was issued on February 5, 2024, mandating enforcement of the judgment against River Point Logistics Center LLC for a total of $514,900. As a result, four parcels of land, encompassing nearly 800 acres at the commerce center, have been scheduled for a sheriff’s sale on May 8, 2024. The properties, located along Marshfield Drive, Pine Tree Lane, and Potomac Street, each carry a debt of $505,098.89.
Lisa Pektor, daughter of Lou Pektor and president of PennCap Properties, stated that they have no comment on the matter, other than asserting that “it’s under control.” Attempts to reach Check’s office for comments went unanswered.
According to the complaint filed by Check, who operates Vertek Construction Management in East Allen Township, Pektor was contracted to assist in the development of an industrial building at the site. The agreement included three payments: $8 million, $500,000, and a final payment of $1.5 million. While the first payment was made on time in 2021, the second payment, which was contingent on obtaining necessary permits, was never fulfilled as those permits were not acquired.
Work on the project ceased in 2023, although Pektor continued to pursue a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) clean water permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. According to the complaint, efforts to secure the necessary permits and approvals halted in March 2025, with allegations that the Pektor parties deliberately ceased all attempts regarding the project.
The situation worsened last spring when Amazon Web Services withdrew plans to build a data center at River Pointe, further complicating the development’s future. The two parcels on Marshfield Drive measure 229 and 463.7 acres, while the Pine Tree Lane and Potomac Street parcels are 5.8 acres and 90.1 acres, respectively, based on county property records.
In the default judgment summary, Check is identified as the creditor, while Pektor and several of his companies, including New Demi Road LLC, are named as debtors, each responsible for $505,098.89.
This case is not the first legal challenge surrounding River Pointe. Since Pektor announced plans in 2019 to construct warehouses and light manufacturing facilities across 804 acres, local residents have raised concerns about traffic and environmental impacts, with the organization Concerned Citizens of UMBT leading the opposition.
In 2022, Pektor initiated legal action against six residents and their legal representatives, accusing them of “ongoing and frivolous litigation” aimed at obstructing his business park plans. More recently, he filed a lawsuit to prevent Upper Mount Bethel Township officials from dissolving a sewer authority created to support his extensive commercial project.
Pektor has faced other legal disputes regarding unpaid debts in the past. In 2010, he contested a $1 million claim from PPL during land negotiations in Bethlehem Township. Additionally, during the Great Recession, he dealt with foreclosure actions from Wachovia Bank over land in Upper and Lower Nazareth and was sued by Sovereign Bank for alleged loan defaults.
The unfolding situation at River Pointe Commerce Center serves as a critical reminder of the complex interplay between development, legal obligations, and community concerns. As the scheduled sheriff’s sale approaches, the future of the site remains uncertain, highlighting the potential ramifications of unresolved financial disputes in commercial real estate.
