Maingate Development, Inc. v. Lakeview Marketing Group, Inc.

Jun 21, 2000
Nos. 4D99-2175, 4D99-3979
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Farmer
FARMER, J.

We affirm a jury verdict awarding Lake-view $65,000 in damages for Maingate’s breach ‍​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‍of a contract between the two. Since the jury’s verdict liquidated damages as of a date certain — February 13, 1996 (the date the contract was breached) until ‍​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‍August 27, 1998 (the date of the verdict)— Lakeview is entitled, as a matter of law, to prejudgment interest at the statutory rate from the date of ‍​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‍Lakeview’s loss. See Argonaut Ins. Co. v. May Plumbing Co., 474 So.2d 212, 215 (Fla.1985). As such, the trial court had a ministerial duty to add the appropriate amount ‍​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‍of interest to the principal amount of damages awarded in the verdict. See Argonaut, 474 So.2d at 215.

Accordingly, we remand for the limited purpose of the trial court adding prejudgment ‍​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‍interest calculated at the statutory rate to the final judgment.

GUNTHER and GROSS, JJ., concur.