Turning to the merits, we begin with the rules on ordinary judgments. A party is entitled to prejudgment interest as provided by contract. When prejudgment interest is awarded, it is added to the judgment and becomes part of the judgment principal. The judgment principal draws post- judgment interest until paid in full. When a judgment debtor makes a partial payment into the registry of the court, the payment generally is applied first to interest and then to principal, while the remainder of the principal continues to draw postjudgment interest.
Interest means simple interest absent agreement or statute to the contrary.
These principles apply with special force when the State takes private property for public use, but does not fully pay for it at that time. The constitutional mandate for payment of just compensation . . . requires that the property owner be put in the same position monetarily as the owner would have occupied had the property not been taken. When the State takes property but does not then fully pay, it leaves the owner with neither the property nor its full value, from when the property is taken to when the property is fully paid for. Sintra II and Sintra III illustrate these principles. In 1987, the landowner's property was taken for public use.