Received toll violation on car I don't own

[Jay968]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Colorado

Here is my situation. I actually live in California and traded in a car for a new one in April of 2016. Last week I received a billing statement from expresstoll in Aurora, Colorado telling me that my car drove on a toll road there and that I owe $3.55. Of course this happened AFTER I traded that car in in April. Plus I have never even BEEN in Colorado.
I called them and they told me to send proof that I no longer own the car. So I emailed them copies of my release of liability, and the portion of the bill of sale which lists the trade-in. I didn't receive any confirmation of the emails or anything so I once again called them and was told it would take 48 hours after they received the email for me to hear from them. Well, today after 48 hours, I once again called and explained the situation. This time the rep on the phone said I could send HER the scans that I had created and that she would take care of things. Well, I did that and she then told me that the partial bill of sale was not accepted and that I had to send them the entire one. So, I then did THAT. I asked her to confirm receipt of my email which she did, but instead of taking care of the bill, she told me that she would be happy to send my email over to the right department for them to make a final verdict. Well, this was over 3 hours ago and I still have heard nothing.
At this point I am beginning to wonder if they are ever going to rectify the bill or just let it go to the date on which they told me it would be overdue, then start tacking on more fees and eventually send it to collections.

Advice please? And please don't just say 'pay the bill.' It's not that I can't afford $3.55 but if they get away with this from me, there could be hundreds of thousands of others out there that they are doing this to as well.

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Colorado

Here is my situation. I actually live in California and traded in a car for a new one in April of 2016. Last week I received a billing statement from expresstoll in Aurora, Colorado telling me that my car drove on a toll road there and that I owe $3.55. Of course this happened AFTER I traded that car in in April. Plus I have never even BEEN in Colorado.
I called them and they told me to send proof that I no longer own the car. So I emailed them copies of my release of liability, and the portion of the bill of sale which lists the trade-in. I didn't receive any confirmation of the emails or anything so I once again called them and was told it would take 48 hours after they received the email for me to hear from them. Well, today after 48 hours, I once again called and explained the situation. This time the rep on the phone said I could send HER the scans that I had created and that she would take care of things. Well, I did that and she then told me that the partial bill of sale was not accepted and that I had to send them the entire one. So, I then did THAT. I asked her to confirm receipt of my email which she did, but instead of taking care of the bill, she told me that she would be happy to send my email over to the right department for them to make a final verdict. Well, this was over 3 hours ago and I still have heard nothing.
At this point I am beginning to wonder if they are ever going to rectify the bill or just let it go to the date on which they told me it would be overdue, then start tacking on more fees and eventually send it to collections.

Advice please? And please don't just say 'pay the bill.' It's not that I can't afford $3.55 but if they get away with this from me, there could be hundreds of thousands of others out there that they are doing this to as well.

You cannot expect to hear something in 3 hours or less. Give it a couple of weeks and if you do not hear back, contact them again.

 

[Jay968]

You cannot expect to hear something in 3 hours or less. Give it a couple of weeks and if you do not hear back, contact them again.

I don't have a couple of weeks. The deadline is next Friday! Plus, my first email to them was about a week ago and I still haven't gotten any response from even that. And...the rep on the phone told me that if I emailed the proper forms to her SHE would take care of the citation...which she obviously did not do.

 

[HighwayMan]

Since you're disputing the charge there should be no "deadline". You can call them and confirm that.

Did they explain how they associated the car with you??? The only thing they should have to go by is the license plate which should be different than yours and come back to a different owner.

 

[Jay968]

Since you're disputing the charge there should be no "deadline". You can call them and confirm that.

Did they explain how they associated the car with you??? The only thing they should have to go by is the license plate which should be different than yours and come back to a different owner.

In California, when you trade a car in to a dealer, that car may be resold with the same license plate. DMV registration records sometimes lag behind sales. In this case, that apparently was the case. The DMV no longer has me listed as the owner but at the time of the toll, it still was. When I mentioned to expresstoll that all they need to do is check with the current DMV records, they said they would not do this and that they could only help me if I provided them with the bill of sale. I have since done that and they have (to now) still done nothing.

As far as a deadline goes, no they have threatened that if I do not pay by the deadline, I will incur late charges and eventually be sent to collections.

 

[drruthless]

Time waits for no man...

In California, when you trade a car in to a dealer, that car may be resold with the same license plate. DMV registration records sometimes lag behind sales. In this case, that apparently was the case. The DMV no longer has me listed as the owner but at the time of the toll, it still was. When I mentioned to expresstoll that all they need to do is check with the current DMV records, they said they would not do this and that they could only help me if I provided them with the bill of sale. I have since done that and they have (to now) still done nothing.

As far as a deadline goes, no they have threatened that if I do not pay by the deadline, I will incur late charges and eventually be sent to collections.

The problem you are experiencing is one that is all too frequently happening in this state.
You sell a car or it is stolen or just the plates are taken and the thieves commit crimes or blows through a toll booth and guess who the first person the authority’s go after YOU, the guy who did everything right.
The DMV will say they are aware of the problem and are waiting on the boys in Sacramento to pass a laws to address the issue, despite spending some twenty-eight million dollars on computer upgrades, that’s the best they can come up with.

We all know how long it takes to pass a law, but they can give themselves a raise in record time...
OK, I'll get off my soap box now.
I would suggest you may want to try and get your local media in evolved, it makes for good news and it’s hard to pass up an opportunity to light a fire under a state representative or two.
Good luck!

..___________________________
~ Politicians and diapers must be changed often,
and for the same reason. ~ Mark Twain

 

[Zigner]

Are you REALLY going to all this trouble over $3.55? Just pay the $3.55 and be done with it, yeesh. Your case isn't going to affect "hundreds of thousands" of other people.

 

[Jay968]

Are you REALLY going to all this trouble over $3.55? Just pay the $3.55 and be done with it, yeesh. Your case isn't going to affect "hundreds of thousands" of other people.

Sorry but I think that is lousy advice. I know it's only $3.55 and you probably think I am wasting all kinds of time and effort over nothing, but sorry. If people give in to things like this and companies get away with it, we do everyone an injustice. I think that their tactic is to just procrastinate until people like you wear down and just pay the bill.

For what it's worth, in the past couple of days, I have been bombarding them with emails demanding that they relieve me of the toll bill. Yes I could have paid the $3.55 like you would have. But you know what? They relieved me of the bill.

 

[Zigner]

Sorry but I think that is lousy advice. I know it's only $3.55 and you probably think I am wasting all kinds of time and effort over nothing, but sorry. If people give in to things like this and companies get away with it, we do everyone an injustice. I think that their tactic is to just procrastinate until people like you wear down and just pay the bill.

For what it's worth, in the past couple of days, I have been bombarding them with emails demanding that they relieve me of the toll bill. Yes I could have paid the $3.55 like you would have. But you know what? They relieved me of the bill.

It's BUSINESS. You've expended more than $3.55 of your time. Penny wise, pound foolish.

 

[HighwayMan]

In California, when you trade a car in to a dealer, that car may be resold with the same license plate.

Totally ludicrous. Like many things in that state.

If it was me I'd be turning the plates in to the DMV. What a ridiculous system.