Nebraska Nuns Sue Contractor After Mold Outbreak

A Christian sisterhood that spent $15 million to renovate their Nebraska monastery says the contractor they hired overcharged them and performed shoddy ventilation work that spawned a mold outbreak.

Missionary Benedictine Sisters Inc. in Norfolk filed a lawsuit in federal court in Lincoln this week against the Appleton, Wis.-based Hoffman, LLC.

According to the lawsuit, Hoffman agreed in their 2007 contract to complete the design, engineering and construction work by May 2010. The sisters moved out to make way for the renovations, but when they came back in 2009, they noticed problems with the ventilation. The system failed to dehumidify the air, which spawned “significant amounts” of mold throughout the monastery.

Consultants who examined the work also concluded that the heating, ventilation and cooling system installed was designed for much larger and differently shaped buildings, the sisters contend. In summer 2009, residents noticed other problems: defective flooring, insulation, bathroom vents, water heaters and other faulty work.

Hoffman “assumed a legal duty to perform such work in a professional manner, pursuant to the professional standards in the industry,” the lawsuit states. “Defendant’s failure to perform the work in a professional manner and in compliance with the professional standards of the industry constitutes professional negligence.”

The renovations were intended to turn the monastery into a retreat center with classes, programs and workshops for people of different faiths.

The renovation money came from a $27.5 million payment the sisters received after they divested from Faith Regional Health Services in 2008. Another $10 million went to charity, and the remaining money went into the Missionary Benedictine Sisters retirement fund.

A Hoffman company spokesman declined to comment. The company’s attorney, Joel Heusinger of Lincoln, said he would respond to the allegations in a court filing due next month.

A woman who answered the phone at the monastery said the sisters did not want to talk about the case.

The case was filed in Madison County District Court in March, but moved to federal court on Wednesday because two states were involved and the damages sought are greater than $250,000.

The Missionary Benedictine Sisters are an international congregation of the Roman Catholic Church, serving in 19 countries.