EZ Pass
One of the most surprising injustices we see in our office is when ordinary, working people show us bills from the MTA or collections agencies from EZ Pass toll violations, in the THOUSANDS of dollars. Clients have come to us with more than $50,000. in EZ Pass fees, just from their regular daily commute.
EZ Pass violation can spiral into a nightmare. The tolling authorities, the Port Authority of NY and NJ, the MTA, and the NYS Thruway Authority, will send bills which are impossible to pay because they are so inflated, and then send you to collections, who send bills for tens of thousands in violations, and then file papers to sue you for the money you can’t afford to pay. This will damage your credit score for years or decades, preventing you from getting a loan or line of credit. You may have to appear in Supreme Court facing a lawsuit.
Even worse, the can notify the DMV to suspend your registration, leading you to more tickets. You could even be arrested and end up in Criminal Court.
Since 2015, tolls in NY State are 100% electronic payment. Either you have an EZ Pass and your account gets billed, or the toll booth equipment takes a photo of your license plate and mails you a bill.
Electronic toll collection has many errors and problems, and EZ Pass is a merciless entity. People have accrued tens of thousands, and even hundreds of thousands, of EZ Pass “violations.” A $2.00 toll can result in a $100.00 violation if not paid within 30 days.
This has become crushing debt to many people who simply do not have the resources to pay the usurious amount that EZ Pass demands. The debt can also not be ignored, because EZ Pass never stops.
After racking up thousands in violations and late fees, EZ Pass will send your file to a collections agency, damaging your credit. Then, they revoke your vehicle registration, which can lead to an arrest if you are pulled over while driving without valid registration. They can also trespass you from the roadways to which you owe the money, meaning it would be a crime to travel on roadways owned by the Port Authority of NY & NJ, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), and the New York State Throughway Authority.
Most people simply cannot afford to pay their unfair and usurious violations. That is where we come in. Our firm has been successful in:
Getting violation amounts substantially reduced
Avoiding registration suspensions or, if you are suspended getting your vehicle registration suspension lifted
Greatly reducing the amount owed
Getting you on an affordable manageable payment plan
The debt is crushing and the process totally unfair. However, there is a way to handle and manage this. What must be done is to go directly to the individual tolling authority to (1) determine how much you owe; (2) negotiate a reduction; and (3) get you on a payment plan. Our law firm has successfully managed this problem for dozens of clients. We have been able to either avoid a registration suspension or, if the registration has been suspended prior to contacting us then getting the suspension lifted, determining what is owed and to whom, negotiating a reduction, and getting our client on a payment plan.
If you received substantial EZ Pass notices for unpaid bills, don’t delay. Please call 718-625-1777 for a FREE TELEPHONE CONSULTATION!
Matthew Dusenberry is a DWI, Criminal Defense and State and City Store License Defense Lawyer in Brooklyn, New York.
Harry Dusenberry has practiced Criminal Defense and DWI Law in New York City for over 40 years.
Law Office of Dusenberry & Dusenberry, 107 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. 718-625-1777.
Web: Dusenberrylaw.com
