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                                                                    Exhibit 31.1

BANKATLANTIC BANCORP, INC.

I, James A. White, certify that:

         1.       I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of
                  BankAtlantic Bancorp, Inc.;

         2.       Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain
                  any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
                  material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light
                  of the circumstances under which such statements were made,
                  not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
                  quarterly report;

         3.       Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other
                  financial information included in this quarterly report,
                  fairly present in all material respects the financial
                  condition, results of operations and cash flows of the
                  registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this
                  quarterly report;

         4.       The registrant's other certifying officer and I are
                  responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure
                  controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
                  13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

                           a.       designed such disclosure controls and
                                    procedures, or caused such disclosure
                                    controls and procedures to be designed under
                                    our supervision, to ensure that material
                                    information relating to the registrant,
                                    including its consolidated subsidiaries, is
                                    made known to us by others within those
                                    entities, particularly during the period in
                                    which this quarterly report is being
                                    prepared;

                           b.       evaluated the effectiveness of the
                                    registrant's disclosure controls and
                                    procedures and presented in this quarterly
                                    report our conclusions about the
                                    effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
                                    procedures, as of the end of the period
                                    covered by this quarterly report based on
                                    such evaluation; and

                           c.       disclosed in this report any change in the
                                    registrant's internal control over financial
                                    reporting that occurred during the
                                    registrant's most recent fiscal quarter that
                                    has materially affected, or is reasonably
                                    likely to materially affect, the
                                    registrant's internal control over financial
                                    reporting; and

         5.       The registrant's other certifying officer and I have
                  disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal
                  control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors
                  and the audit committee of registrant's board of directors (or
                  persons performing the equivalent functions):

                           a.       all significant deficiencies and material
                                    weaknesses in the design or operation of
                                    internal control over financial reporting
                                    which are reasonably likely to adversely
                                    affect the registrant's ability to record,
                                    process, summarize and report financial
                                    information; and

                           b.       any fraud, whether or not material, that
                                    involves management or other employees who
                                    have a significant role in the registrant's
                                    internal control over financial reporting.

Date: November 14, 2003

By:/s/ James A. White
   ---------------------
     James A. White,
     Chief Financial Officer