A toll violation is an inconvenience we often avoid by being vigilant on the road and by following traffic rules. But sometimes, however careful we are, we got charged with toll violations we didn’t even commit. Though government agencies can attest to the accuracy of traffic cameras and license plate scanners, this equipment does not give 100% correct data al the time. The probability of receiving a bogus toll violation notice is low but it does not mean you might never ever receive one in your lifetime.
Incidences of Bogus Toll Violations
Melbourne Beach woman allegedly charged bogus toll violations
A Melbourne Beach woman, Mary Mashke, shares her disappointment over what she calls fraudulent toll violations she had been receiving from Miami-Dade Expressway Authority. The trouble with the notices she had been receiving for years is that she lives 186 miles away from Miami and the car’s plate number wasn’t even hers.
She got rid of the plate two years ago because of her frustration with the toll-by-plate invoices. “I thought I would get it out of my name because I turned in that plate. No, no, no, no, I just got this this month,” Mashke said. Mashke said even if she still had the old plate, she couldn’t possibly have blown through a toll in Miami. Her motor home has been in storage for nearly three years. Mashke said she’s made calls, mailed certified letters, contacted the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and even contacted the Attorney General’s Office.
Watch WFTV’s interview on her in the video below.
Orlando man accused of fake toll violations in NJ
Marc Free, a former IBM executive, left Orlando to visit his family in New Jersey only to be fined by three separate toll violations for a plate number that do not belong to him.
The vehicle appears to be a commercial truck and the numbers are clearly “551 60G.” According to New Jersey Turnpike Authority Spokesman Tom Feeney, the photos are reviewed in-person, confirming it was Florida plate 551 60G. Ironically, Free did have a license plate with that sequence but it was cancelled in 2007. Adding to the mystery is the fact that his plate was issued for a Harley Davidson motorcycle not a commercial truck. A motorcycle license plate is usually much smaller than a standard vehicle plate.
Getting a toll violation
American radio host and author Alex Jones talk about getting charged with toll violation via license plate scanners in the video below.
Online options to dispute bogus toll violations
There are several ways to dispute a toll violation but some states offer a more convenient online solution to challenge a toll notice.
Illinois Tollway offers online alternative to contest a toll violation
Vehicle owners can go to the website to view snapshots of license plates that were recorded as the vehicles in question drove through toll-collection points without paying… The new online dispute option is intended to be faster and less painful for tollway customers [and] “provides a good check for [Illinois State Toll Highway Authority] to make sure that all the work on its side is being done correctly”.
Your Next Step
Being mistakenly charged for a toll violation is troublesome especially if you firmly believe you didn’t commit any traffic or toll violation. Your next step is to get professional legal advice regarding toll violations especially if you decide to challenge a toll violation notice. Contact us today for a free consultation. Our experienced traffic attorneys will be more than willing to give you a hand.
