Inadvertently didn't pay $4.00 EZPass toll in Delaware. Got bill for $91.50. How in the world is this legal? Options?

I’ve gotten a couple of these. Each time, regardless of how much time passed, I sent them a check only for the amount of the actual toll with a note explaining it was my mistake. They’ve never asked for the additional fees and always sent back a letter notifying me the issue was resolved.

~Kevin

You're not in the hinterlands anymore. It's NYC. Parking illegally is more than $91.50. She didn't make an "innocent mistake" she broke the law and got a ticket for it. Same as if she was speeding. Whether you're aware of it or not is irrelevant.

The $91.50 is misleading. I just looked up toll violations in Delaware. $37.50 of that $91 is for failing to pay within 30 days.

https://www.ezpassde.com/pages/FAQs.shtml

Hounddogharrier wrote:

It’s worse in Massachusetts, they have no toll collectors on the Mass Pike . I traveled a 1 mile section of it going to a meet and didn’t have easy pass . Got a bill for $.95 that was date 16 days before I got it . Then I got a new bill dated exactly 30 days after the first one ( and like 14 days after the first one ) I tried sending the 0.95 cents in and 30 days later I got a third bill for $225.

It’s all just a racket . In Albany NY they used to make a half million dollars a year on parking fines . Then they went to parking meters you could pay with your card . Meter fees increased $40,0000 but fines went down $400,000 so they installed automatic fines for running red lights

So did you pay the $225?

I don't think she even missed any payments. I think the surcharges were just added for nor reason but it's possible she was late once.

Totally abusive. The most she should have been charged is the cost of the toll and a small surcharge for not paying, like 5 more bucks or so. Anything over 10 bucks in administrative fees or that kind of crap is abusive. It happens in Texas a lot, but not that high.

This toll business is a total scam.

This might be worth a shot

https://abc7ny.com/business/need-7-on-your-side-contact-nina-pineda-here/126197/

I skimmed all three pages and no one has exactly got this. Before a corporation locates in a city & state, research is done on corporate income tax and stated property tax. Corporations also inquire about state personal income tax, state & county sales tax. States and counties want tax rates to be as competitive as possible. Every state in U.S. officially has to maintain balanced budgets (with state bonds, states fudge a bit). Instead of raising personal income tax, corporate income tax, property tax and sales tax to equilibrium, states have these fees and also count on law enforcement to be tax collectors. City, county and state government(s) budget for a certain percentage raised from the fees mentioned in your post.

No late fees..... wrote:

Google has a "no toll roads" option that I always use.

This won't take you around every toll, well it will, but sometimes you have to drive so far out of the way you're better off paying the toll. It will take you around the tolls going north and south through Delaware though.

A friend of yours of limited means and no access to a credit card drives through two ez pass toll lanes and does not pay the initial bill on time? She owns an iphone 11 and makes $25/hour? Maybe be a good friend and encourage her to take some personal responsibility. At some point, you have to stop bailing her out.

rojo wrote: What are her options?

Be an adult? Pay the bill. Make better financial and driving decisions in the future.

rojo wrote: What a joke. $91.50? So she's supposed to pay $183.00 for two $4.00 tolls because she made an innocent mistake? That's easily a day's wages for her.

Four 'innocent' mistakes. The first two because she hopes she can drive through an ez pass lane for free. The third hoping the state will ignore her first offense if she doesn't pay the bill. The fourth knowing that she has moneybags rojo to fall back on if all else fails.

Fukking beaurocracy

Sums it up so well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXcxWsdjYHA

Agreed, what does this have to do with running?

The two Delaware tolls got bumped to $5 a while back. Tell her to take the exit for 896 and go north towards Newark, then skirt around the toll the next time. Maybe DE is making up for the fact they have no sales tax. That seems absurd. Just write a check for $4 and send it.

Had a similar thing happen to me in California, drove in the diamond lane which I always assumed meant carpools but apparently this one was a Lexus lane. I was able to retroactively buy a toll transponder and get the fine waved, maybe this will work with EZ-Pass too?

A similar situation happened to me. I contacted the telephone number provided on the bill. The representative I spoke with was pleasant and very responsive. She knocked out the surcharges and had me pay the toll amount over the telephone.

Rojo has a friend of "limited means"?

Not buying this one but a heroic trolling effort nonetheless, complete with graphics, outrage, cry for justice.

I'm giving him.... 9/10

I got a similar one from the same tool booth, I sent them a check for the $5.50 toll I owed. I absolutely refuse to pay the $105 they say I owe which includes fees for things that has nothing to do with the toll amount and possibly a small admin fee. - This is a shake down plain and simple!

Ok here is the update. I called the number today and actually spoke to a human. They said to appeal and then send in a payment for $8 (there were two tickets - on there and one on the way back). At a minimum, they'll remove the extra fees which took it from $54 to $91.50 which apparently was because she missed the first deadline and was a late fee.

She put on the appeal that she had no idea the highway on the left was for EZPass only that she has ADHD and mild dyslexia and rarely drives on the highway. Hopefully they take the $8 and call it a day.

slumming? wrote:

Rojo has a friend of "limited means"?

Not buying this one but a heroic trolling effort nonetheless, complete with graphics, outrage, cry for justice.

I'm giving him.... 9/10

Don't the aristocrats like to refer to 'the help' as 'friends?'