MIDDLESEX TWP — Karla Horanic's home along Denny Road had an estimated 10 feet of flooding on May 28.

Her family escaped via canoe with the assistance of emergency personnel, but they lost two cars, many personal items and the sense of having a secure, comfortable place to call home.

“I'm trying to rebuild my life,” Horanic said. “I'm trying to rebuild my home.”

Horanic felt her efforts to do so were drenched July 18 when she was visited by a man who she thought was a state Department of Environment Protection agent. He was inspecting a pile of “topsoil” in her yard, which had received complaints.

“He just said I was interfering with 'their' floodway,” Horanic said. “I flipped out.”

Horanic told the inspector to leave and posted the account to the Middlesex Township community Facebook group, generating 100 comments. She hasn't heard from the inspector since.

The inspector was Ian Harrell, district manager for Butler County Conservation District. He visited Horanic's property to assess the worth of a complaint his office received.

“We (always) go out and take a look at the site,” Harrell said.

When the district is contacted by someone reporting a property violating a regulation, the first step is to verify the location of the property. Then, Harrell said, he inspects the property for violations. Different areas face different regulations. In Horanic's case, Harrell was looking for any floodway or wetland breach.

“In my assessment, the (dirt) appeared to be more than 50 feet from the stream,” Harrell said.

Harrell reviewed the location of Horanic's property on the Federal Emergency Management Agency flood map.

“Her house is pretty much surrounded by the (FEMA) zoning floodway,” he noted.

Horanic — a realtor — moved into her house in 2007. She said her property is in a “100-year floodplain,” but that she didn't experience major flooding until the Weatherburn Heights development moved in across the street.

“I have complained about my property since the day that development (moved in),” Horanic said. “My house is a major, major, major concern.”

Specifically, Horanic added, she has voiced concern that the development is negatively affecting her property's ability to drain. Township Manager Travis Cavanaugh didn't comment on the situation, but confirmed Haronic has contacted the township about this issue. Two calls made to Gigliotti Properties — the Weatherburn Heights developer — were not returned.

Harrell knows drainage and flooding have been particular issues this summer.

“I think it's been a concern for everybody,” he said.

Neither warrant conservation district involvement. The only time the district reviews a property is when a township or individual suggests something is wrong. If Harrell determines there's an issue, he works with the responsible party to get the property compliant. If the issue persists, the DEP takes over.

“I can't fine (people),” Harrell said. “Just because it goes to DEP, you don't (automatically) get fined.”

Harrell left Horanic's property when she told him he was trespassing. He determined the pile of dirt in her yard probably wasn't in the floodway, although he couldn't officially measure it.

“That's about all I can do,” he said.

Horanic said she hasn't received help from FEMA or her flood insurance since the May 28 flooding. She has been putting her property back together because she doesn't see another option.

“How am I supposed to sell?” she asked. “Nobody's going to buy it (and) I am never going to get market value.”

So far, Horanic has invested about $10,000 in the recovery of her yard. This includes buying dirt, renting excavators and contracting land engineers. She has hired someone to level the dirt around her yard, but she's having trouble getting excavators to show up.

“If I could get grass, it would be so much better,” Horanic said.

She has support from friends and neighbors, one of whom started a GoFundMe page. With plans to re-seed, re-tree and recover, Horanic is working one day at a time.

“It is what it is,” she said.