Portuguese court rejects additional 2% surcharge on late fees as non-applicable to general interest rates.

The Supreme Court of Justice unanimously rejected the request to apply an additional 2% surcharge to general late interest rates. The court held that the specific surcharge provision in Article 7, paragraph 1, of Decree-Law 344/78 does not apply to interest rates established under general terms. Consequently, the plaintiff's claim for the extra surcharge was dismissed as legally inapplicable to the facts.