TxDOT TO TAKE NEXT STEPS TO COLLECT FROM HABITUAL TOLL VIOLATORS
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Mar 23, 2014, Comments Off
Courtesy TxDot,
Vehicles owned by habitual violators will soon face tickets, impoundment, blocked registration
AUSTIN, Tx — Taking the next steps afforded by law to recover millions of dollars in unpaid tolls and fees, the Texas Department of Transportation will soon begin partnering with law enforcement to deal with habitual violators who have continually failed to come forward to settle their debts. Pending approval by the Texas Transportation Commission next week, violators who fail to contact TxDOT will be subjected to having their vehicles banned from toll roads, ticketed by law enforcement, impounded and possibly reported to the county tax assessor’s office in an effort to block vehicle registration renewal.
“These additional actions will help send the message that habitual toll violations will not be tolerated,” said James Bass, TxDOT interim executive director. “Not paying tolls is effectively stealing from the taxpayers of Texas. Recovering unpaid tolls is a responsibility TxDOT will continue to take seriously as we pursue millions of dollars in delinquent tolls that could be used to better serve the people of Texas.”
In November, TxDOT began publicly naming the top 25 toll violators on a monthly basis. Since then, 14 of the named toll violators have come forward to establish active payment plans.As customers make arrangements to settle their debts, their names are removed from the list making way for new names to be moved into an updated, list of top 25 violators published at the beginning of every month. Since the start of these more stringent collection efforts, an average of 150 drivers per month come forward to pay their debts.
The updated list of top toll violators is available to the media through monthly postings on TxDOT.gov and TxTag.org. Authority to publicly report violators’ names was provided by Senate Bill 1792 in an effort to collect an initial sum of more than $27 million in unpaid tolls.
Drivers with unpaid toll violations should immediately contact the TxTag Customer Service Center at (888) 468-9824 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays. A negotiated settlement amount or payment plan may be offered. Tolls and violations may also be paid at TxTag.org. If you have transactions in collections you may contact Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott, LLP at 832-786-7432.
