November 7th, 2024

Dubuque, IA – The City of Dyersville has filed a lawsuit against Dubuque County, alleging a breach of contract and negligence in the handling of funds intended for the development of the Field of Dreams ballpark facilities. The lawsuit, filed on November 7, 2024, in the Iowa District Court for Dubuque County, seeks to recover $524,283.88 in misallocated funds.

According to the petition, Dyersville and Dubuque County entered into a Subrecipient Agreement on December 12, 2022, for the disbursement of Coronavirus State and Local Recovery Funds. The funds were to be used for the development of the Field of Dreams ballpark. Dyersville claims that it submitted invoices to the County as per the agreement, requesting payments via paper checks.

However, on November 29, 2023, Dyersville’s municipal email was compromised by a malicious third party. Unbeknownst to Dyersville, the third party sent an email to the County, impersonating the City Clerk, and requested that the payment be made via electronic funds transfer to an out-of-state bank account. The County, without verifying the request, issued the payment electronically, resulting in the funds being diverted to the third party.

Dyersville asserts that the County’s failure to verify the electronic payment request constitutes a breach of contract and negligence. The City argues that the County had a duty to exercise reasonable care in issuing payments and that the failure to do so caused significant financial damage to Dyersville.

The lawsuit seeks a judgment in favor of Dyersville for the amount of $524,283.88, plus attorneys’ fees and pre-judgment interest. Dyersville has also demanded a jury trial on all matters.