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I was fined $850 for unknowingly violating a toll lane law 8 times – I wasn’t notified for months & the fines doubled
Her dashcam footage showed she followed the rules, yet she was fined
A WOMAN was shocked to see several $75 charges posted to her toll account for violating a lane law - her dashcam showed otherwise.
She was so adamant about appealing the claims against her that she paid extra to appeal the charges.
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Lisa Reiff has lived in Colorado for a long time, and was well aware of the toll lane laws - never cross over the solid white line to separate normal lanes from toll lanes.
Those who don't follow the lane laws are automatically cited $75 per violation.
She was made aware of the law by the state's avid efforts to broadcast the laws through TV ads, social media posts, news coverage, and more.
Reiff was stunned when she looked at her toll account and found several $75 charges posted for crossing the solid white line.
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The total sum was $600.
"I was absolutely shocked," she told NBC affiliate KUSA.
"They've said over and over again, you can't cross the double solid line. So, I know I don't do that. Never ever, ever do that. I always wait to get into the broken line."
She said she'd never done that and had proof.
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Footage from her dashcam showed her crossing the broken line, as she said she did - but she was fined for crossing a toll lane from an exit, not an entrance.
Reiff tried to appeal the charges, but was initially denied - so she paid extra to appeal them again.
I'm being fined $4,700 for using toll lanes but I have a valid pass - I paid $100 per week & don't know where money went
"I ended up paying $850 to them because of the fines for being denied my appeal," Reiff said.
Reiff isn't the only one who felt the sting of the automatic fines.
Hans Gebhard and his wife have both been ticketed for the same reason as Reiff.
His wife was ticketed in January but didn't see a ticket until April, causing her $75 ticket to become a $150 ticket.
"The bill came several months later," he said.
"So, it was like ‘What's this?’"
Hans paid his $75, but it left a sour taste in his mouth.
Fighting incorrect toll violations
A legal expert says a toll violation notice can be disputed with a few simple steps.
- Double-check the name and license plate number. Violations are finalized by a technician before they're mailed, and sometimes a simple mistake can be made. If the matter is as simple as someone misreading the plate due to a grainy photo, the matter can be resolved by calling the toll agency.
- If the license plate is correct but the car is no longer registered to you, you can dispute it by contacting your state's transportation agency (ie. DMV) to provide proof the vehicle is no longer yours.
- If the violation claims it was issued due to a missing account and you indeed have an active account, the violation can usually be disputed on the toll agency's website. If not, calling is an option.
- Dispute the notice promptly. Many toll agencies will impose a short time limit that drivers can dispute a notice, so it's important to do so quickly to avoid late fees.
- Be clear when submitting a dispute online. The more details included, the easier it is to have the matter resolved.
- If necessary, drivers can submit a hearing to dispute the charge.
Read more here.
"I think it's highway robbery," Hans said.
"$75 is like so far out there. How about like $25?"
Tim Hoover, a spokesperson for the Colorado Transportation Investment Office (CTIO), said the fines are high to serve as an incentive to follow the rules.
He said 81 percent of those ticketed rarely break the rules a second time, resulting in fewer overall citations.
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The agency, however, would like to see the number of violations decrease even more.
"We would like to see [the number of tickets] get smaller," he said.
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