Case Name: William J. ARMSTRONG, Appellant, v. BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2001-01-10
Citations: 776 So. 2d 326
Docket Number: No. 3D00-1205
Parties: William J. ARMSTRONG, Appellant, v. BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., Appellee.
Judges: Before GODERICH, and RAMIREZ, JJ., and NESBITT, Senior Judge.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 776
Pages: 326–327

Head Matter:
William J. ARMSTRONG, Appellant, v. BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., Appellee.
No. 3D00-1205.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
Jan. 10, 2001.
Niles, Dobbins, Meeks, Raleigh & Dover, and Harry S. Raleigh, Jr., for appellant.
Holland & Knight, and Daniel S. Pearson, and Jose A. Casal, and llene L. Pabi-an, Miami, for appellee.
Before GODERICH, and RAMIREZ, JJ., and NESBITT, Senior Judge.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Appellant/Defendant William Armstrong appeals an entry of judgment in an amount that exceeds the limit provided in his personal guaranty of a note executed by Co-Defendant NGLC to Appellee/Plaintiff Bank of America, N.A. Because we find that a court may impose against a guarantor an award of prejudgment interest that causes a judgment to exceed the stated limit of the guaranty, we affirm.
Armstrong guaranteed payment of NGLC's note in the amount of $1,072,500.00. When the note went into default, Bank of America sued both NGLC and Armstrong. The trial court entered judgment for the bank in the principal amount of $1,072,500.00, plus prejudgment interest in the amount of $61,998.13 for a total award of $1,134,498.13. Although the award of prejudgment interest in this case caused the final judgment to exceed the limit stated in Armstrong's guaranty, we hold that Florida law permits such an award. A guarantor's total liability after litigation on the guaranteed note may ex ceed the stated limit where the additional amount is the result of the imposition of prejudgment interest which accrues as a matter of law. See Alpha Elec. Supply, Inc. v. G.E. Lee Enters., Inc., 441 So.2d 698, 700 (Fla. 2d DCA 1988) (guarantors' personal guarantees limited their total liability to $30,000.00; nevertheless, they were held hable for prejudgment interest on the liquidated claim irrespective of the limits contained in their guaranties).
Affirmed.