I traveled on a toll road as an out of town visitor to the Houston area. I don't normally use toll roads but I made an exception and traveled on the Ft Bend county toll road.
The main complaints I have are that
1. They eliminated toll booth workers (presumably to make save money) thereby forcing their customers to use mail or tx tag which is a prepay tag for frequent users. I am not from the area and don't use toll roads therefore I did not have a toll tag. I was not aware upon entering the toll road that I would be unable to pay my toll except by mail. If I had, I would not have taken the toll road.
2. I received a bill from this organization in the amount of 96.75 that covers a toll amount of 1.75 and 95.00 in adminstrative fees. Now, as much as I love just handing over money to scheisters, I take exception to being fleeced for a toll that originally costed me 1.75 but which I was forced to pay by mail which resulted in it costing 96.75.
Had I been made aware of this, I would have chosen another avenue to travel on.
I am now being threatened with a court hearing, hold on registration and/or placing a restraintive device on my car unless I yield to this extortion.
I would think that a class action lawsuit is in order. If nothing else to force this toll company to disclose their practices to their potential customers prior to using their road instead of conveniently deciding on the amount after the fact and then using the state law enforcement bodies to execute penalties for their revenue stream.
This is nothing more than a scam of the highest order.
It should be fairly simple to go after one large corporation to set a precendent that all toll companies will heed.
1. non-disclosure. Surely there is a law that governs end user license agreements. We have to sign them for any product that is out there, why don't these toll companies have to disclose their product and penalty costs.
2. Use of regional law enforcement bodies to implement their penalties instead of using the court system like other businesses.
3. Setting exorbitant penalites for toll fees that are a fraction of the entire bill. In my case the toll fee is 1.75. The fine is a whopping 95.00.
4. Using a kangaroo court to make financial judgements who creat a huge conflict of interest by using lawyers that represent the toll road company and that collect fees from customers as well as adding additional exbortitant fines and fees for their services. This is an outrage and the Texas legislature should be made aware of it.
Please, please include me in any lawsuit that is available.
Bubba Lee
REd Deer,#2General Comment
Fri, February 05, 2016
Several toll road billing agencies in the Lower 48 have been sucsessfully sued due to fraudulent bill practices.
This one just hasn't lost yet.
The trick is to "Mail" out a bill but not address it correctly or better yet e-mail a bill to the owner of the vehical, but mess up the address or send it to a blank address.
Then allow penalties and interest to accumulate.
Now absolutly refse to reduce or forgive penalties.
Then correctly contact the owner of the vehical and bill them $100.'s of dollars.
Scam, scum, Government hired and supported. Makes it three ways abuse of power.
Personally I think the OP should pay the bill, include a letter of protest and then Sue in small claims.
Worst that can happen is he looses and gets the scum from the toll road.
Tyg
Pahrump,#3General Comment
Fri, February 05, 2016
YOU are writting this complaint in HINDSIGHT!!! Meaning that it wouldnt have mattered AT THAT TIME what the terms were. YOU CHOSE to continue on a toll road. YOU had a chance to turn around and go back but YOU CHOSE not to. Dont go crying on the web when YOU are now busted for doing so. Perhaps YOU have forgotten that toll roads are PRIVATLY OWNED. PLEASE try and take responsibility for YOUR actions.