Don’t forget to pay tolls on time – they can add up quickly
Thursday, April 12, 2012 |
| If you don’t pay your tolls, after 80 days you’ll receive this envelope with a notice of civil penalty. |
Previously, Tacoma Narrows Bridge drivers who didn’t pay at the toll booths or have a Good To Go! account were sent a $52 ticket. Now, drivers have 80 days to pay the toll before receiving a notice of civil penalty.
If you want to dispute a penalty, you will find a more customer friendly dispute-resolution process – and more revenue goes back to the bridges. Under the old process, only $12 of the $52 infraction went back to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The new program allows us to put collected tolls, fees and penalties back into paying for each bridge.
What is a notice of civil penalty?
A civil penalty includes more than just the toll. After 80 days, owners of registered vehicles must pay the toll, a $40 penalty and any additional fees.Let’s say you crossed the SR 520 bridge during the peak commute time without a Good To Go! account. We’ll mail a bill to the driver within 14 days. Those who don’t pay within 15 days get a second bill with a $5 reprocessing fee. The longer you wait, the costlier it gets. Drivers with unpaid tolls receive a notice of civil penalty and a $40 fine in addition to the late fee for each toll left unpaid after 80 days.
Example of how tolls can add up:
First bill: $5 toll = $5 total
Second bill: $5 toll + $5 reprocessing fee = $10 total
Notice of Civil Penalty: $5 toll + $5 reprocessing fee + $40 civil penalty = $50 total
What should I do if receive a civil penalty?
Similar to a parking ticket, you shouldn’t ignore your penalty. If you receive a notice you have two options: pay or dispute. If you don’t believe you’re responsible for the penalty you can dispute in writing or request a hearing. Hearings will take place at a public court in Fife or at the Good To Go! customer service center off I-5 in north Seattle.Unlike traffic court, toll enforcement judges are unable to reduce penalty amounts. They can only make a judgment on whether the vehicle owner is responsible for the tolls or not. Watch our video on YouTube to learn more about the dispute process.
Avoid receiving a civil penalty in the future
It’s easy to avoid additional fees or a civil penalty:- Keep your eyes open for a toll bill in the mail about 14 days after using a tolled bridge.
- Make sure to pay your first toll bill within 15 days of receiving it.
- Double-check your info with the Department of Licensing to confirm your address is current since tolls bills are sent to the registered vehicle owner.
Questions?
As always, please call us at 1-866-936-8246 if you have questions about toll charges. We’re here to help.9 comments:
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I wonder how many drivers tried to dispute this so following was added into dispute form:
The following are not legal defenses or mitigating factors under Washington law: (1) someone else was driving the vehicle; (2)
you did not receive a Toll Bill; (3) the Toll Bill or Notice of Civil Penalty was not mailed to the correct address; (4) you did not
know to pay a toll. -
Yeah, so this is outrageous. They don't even have a procedure in place for when people don't receive their notices. How exactly do you intend to hold me responsible for a late fee to a notice I never received?
The woman on the phone had the nerve to tell me it was between me and the post office. Excuse me? Let me just "mail" my $3.10 to you, and when you don't receive it, I'll tell you to take it up with the post office.
What's to stop them from doing this systematically and collecting an extra $5 from everyone? -
What a joke; 2 weeks to pay a $3.75 bill or be charged an additional $5 re-processing fee. Be sure to cancel your vacation if awaiting a toll bill by mail! Very poor planning, unless the 'plan' was maximize revenue opportunities. Am surprised there hasn't been more social media backlash about the 're-processing' fee (which should be be called a LATE FEE, as reprocessing doesn't cost nearly $5), but most folks will bite their tongue & pay it to avoid the $40 civil penalty.
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I just got a bill that totaled 12.40 for just two trips across 520. THey charged me a reprocessing fee and I never received a bill in the first place for the previous transaction. This is BS!
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Toll bills are mailed to the registered vehicle owner’s address on file with the Department of Licensing. If the address on file is not up to date you may not recieve your toll bill. However, the registered owner is still responsible for paying the toll bill.
You should recieve your toll bill approximately 14 days after crossing the bridge. If you don't recieve a toll bill or have questions or concerns about your bill please give customer service a call at 1-866-936-8246. -
I'm pretty upset about this. There is no documentation saying that the civil penalty would be assessed on an unpaid $5 late fee. I paid my toll after it was already late but before I received the second notice with the late fee. Now, 80 days later, I am being assessed a civil penalty for the outstanding $5 even though I paid the original toll?? Ridiculous. I would like to see something written that the late fees will have a civil penalty imposed even if the original amount was paid.
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Ripped off...Not fair... We can't dispute...the state wont take any responsibilities... It was planned for using plain white envelope for us to think they were just junk mails...Bill us 2 weeks later to make us forget about the bills... We have been robbed....
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Fines like this were overturned by the courts in California. Basically they tried putting in cameras at stop lights and it was ruled a violation of your basic rights. I think someone should challenge this law in Washington.
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Similar camera ticket system thrown out in court in California.
http://www.vvdailypress.com/articles/throwing-25536-california-tickets.html
