The NY Post reported this weekend that DMV is using the EZ pass system to identify motorists who fail to pay their tolls and, consequently suspend their registrations. This is a serious penalty because driving with a suspended registration constitutes a misdemeanor offense in New York State and, therefore, affected drivers could find themselves arrested and facing jail time.
Almost 5,000 motorists who have passed through the new cash-less toll plazas and not paid their EZ Pass bill have had their vehicle registrations suspended as a result of this new program. Cameras in the cash-less system photograph license plates of those who do not have an EZ pass and send a bill.
Under this new program, registrants will be suspended when a motorist fails to pay 3 or more toll violations within 5 years, or when commercial vehicle operators fail to pay $200 in tolls within 5 years. DMV is seeking to expand this program to cover out-of-state vehicles by reaching suspensions agreements with New Jersey, Connecticut, etc. Further, it would not surprise me if DMV starts
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I moved to SC from New Mexico a couple of years ago because I wanted to experience the east coast with my family.
This summer, I took my wife and kids on a road trip from SC to NYC to pay my respects on 9/11.
I made sure to grab some cash for any tolls I might have to pay, however, I noticed all the tolls said “pay by mail”. So I assumed, they bill you by mail.
I received many tolls fees from otherstates and paid them, no problems. However, I still haven’t received the one from NY.
3 months later, in December, I finally received the one from NY. The bill was $222. My reaction was like, “holy sh!+”. The $200 was for “administration fees, and I looked into it, it said because it was a “final notice”.
I thought to myself, “how could this be a final notice if I never received the first one? So I decided to dispute it.
I received a letter today saying my dispute was declined and that if I don’t pay it, they’ll send the bill to collections and revoke my registration.
Could they revoke my vehicle registration if I live in SC? Because I don’t feel it’s right for me to pay such an outrageous bill. I would have been more than happy to have paid the original $22 bill if i had gotten it….
Fabian L Martinez,
Sorry to hear about your situation.
NY cannot suspend your SC registration but it could notify SC to take action. You would need to ask a SC what, if anything, SC will do in such a situation.
Matthew Weiss
This strikes me as illegal somehow; how does one agency have the right to use the other’s information. I’m not an attorney, but there should be an argument as to how they can get away with this.
I am in a situation where my wife broke her leg, let my son barrow a car to assist and in good faith for the help let him continue to drive it…Didn’t keep money on his EZ Pass account, was contacted that I owe over $30,000 $28.000 in fees, paid the $3088. In tolls but EZ Pass will not forgive a penny of the outrageous fees ..NY has become a horrible money hungry greedy selfish and ruthless place to live …So if I don’t pay them the $28,000 they will suspend my license and sue me..I am willing to pay a reasonable fee but there is nothing reasonable about this…
Larry King,
We’re sorry to read about your wife’s injury and EZ pass predicament.
We have no helpful answer for you about EZ fees. It is our understanding that they are brutally tough on such fees.
Wishing you better luck!
Matthew Weiss
It’s crazy how there doing us
I need my car back ez pass suspended my registration they say I owe them 5000 dollars I don’t have that kind of be money please help me
Anthony G Gaccione,
I’m sorry but our law firm does not handle EZ pass tickets or suspensions. We do not have any advice for you but wish you the best in solving this problem.
Matthew Weiss
I never received a notice from the Port Authority of NY/NJ that I owe them $315.00 in tolls and over $1,200.00 in high fees fines. The Ez pass collection falsely use the name of the PA of NY/NJ to suspending my vehicle registration. For tolls and high fees.
According to the statement of the Detective Martinez of the Port Authority of NY/NJ Office of the Inspector General, stated to me on Wednesday December 11, 2019, that is not the nature of them to suspend motorist vehicle registration,
The NYS Thruway Authority is working together with the SZ pass entitysnd the NYC Marshall booting vehiclesgor personal gains. My vehicle was booted on Friday, December 06,2019 and I still cannot do anything because I don’t have the $2,000.00, plus get my car back and this a constitutional violation and consumer fraud and its punishable by law
Edwin Fernandez,
I’m sorry to hear about your misfortune. If you can prove that you were not given proper notice, then you might have a good argument. With that said, you should speak with an attorney who is experienced in this area. We do not handle these types of cases.
Matthew Weiss
I’m in a similar situation with ez pass do you of a lawyer who can help me ez pass wants 22,000.00 from me
Filberto Orfila,
We do not fight EZ passes violations. Sorry but wish you luck.
Matthew Weiss
I work for MTA and the stipulations for not paying your toll bill on time or late is absolutely ridiculous …..how does a 8.50 toll increase to 108.50 just because you happened to pay it late …..something needs to be done about this ….I’d rather sit in traffic pay my 8.50 to a toll clerk and be done with it …..just another way to get us commuters out of our hard earned money
S,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I am sure that you are not alone in this sentiment.
Matthew Weiss
Arm twisting is unfortunately needed sometimes. I’d like to see nys impounding out of state vehicles of people who live in NYC using “borrowed” license plates from other states. Let them and prove residency in those other states rather than nyc where they actually live!
Nys demands that you have plates for the official residence based on time lived in the state
People née their cars so if you have an out of state plate just to meet the demand of overly high insurance so be it nyc is way over the median budget and it’s a shame you have to do that to live in the state you was born and raised
Aubrey king,
Thanks for your post and sharing your thoughts.
Matthew Weiss
I think this is an over-reach to say the least. If they know who the offender is (obviously they do), and the bill is unpaid, then they should seek financial recovery in the same way that any other business must — through a collection agency or the courts. Suspending registrations is akin to arm-twisting mob tactics.