OMG...this makes me want to puke! **UPDATE**

[madis81]

My DH takes the toll road, using his company car, 4-6 times a week. The company pays the toll charges, or so we thought. We never got a bill, so we assumed that the company was handling it. WRONG!!! Today in the mail we received a package of NOTICES that the company received. A PACKAGE!!!! 68 NOTICES! Each notice had a 70.00 fee attached to it, along w/ the cost of the original toll cost. $476.00 in tolls and roughly $4760.00 in fines!!!! WTH! How are we suppose to pay that? If we don't handle it, then the company will pay, then attach there own fees, and start deducting from DH's paycheck.

I want to cry! We were just starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and now this.

[MCsMom]

Yikes, I'm so sorry (((Hugs)))

[shoes]

OMG!!! There has got to be a way to negotiate that down! If you never even received a bill... How can they justify the fees??
I hope you work something out! That's ridiculous!!!!!!

[SunshineJ]

WTH?? Lot's of questions you need to start asking. First off, why did you think the company covered it - as in can you find it in WRITING anywhere? If so then you're off the hook. Second off, why did the company sit on these for so long? You can start by calling the toll people and explaining the situation, seeing if they'd waive the fees if you paid the due in full now (difficult I know but they won't settle for less I'm sure). If they won't you need to talk to the company about why these bills were never passed on to you. Explain to them how had they been handled in a timely manner you would never have owed the fees, and that you consider them liable for them. If they argue it, pay an attorney $50 to write them a threatening lawsuit letter (if it won't cost your DH his job). That is so not right!! I'm sorry!

ETA: Actually I don't think they *can* legally deduct it from his wages. THEY own the car and are therefore responsible for all bills incurred legally. If this wasn't spelled out in writing and if they never passed the bills along, then it's their bill not yours. Definitely fight it.

[KatWrangler]

Does the car have one of those toll Pass readers in it? Is that why he assumed the company was paying? Otherwise, if it didn't have them, then yes I would think he needs to pay up.

[Logan's Mom]

wow, that really sucks!

We live in MA and have a transponder for our vehicle. If the transponder wasn't working, then a light would flash which indicates we need to call the toll company.

I don't understand how it could have gotten confused and for so long. However, with our company, its so big, that if your car gets tagged in a toll, it does take a month or 2 to get the bill. The car is registered to the company and they have to research who actually drives the vehicle and where we are located (we are national.) So, I guess I could see if he used the toll every day, twice a day you could get several bills racked up.

I'm sure someone will negotiate a deal, I just don't know how good its going to be and it sure is a pain in the butt.

[MtBikeLover]

Call them! In Chicago, there are all kinds of issues with the tolls and if you call, explain your situation, they always remove the fines and just charge you for the tolls.

Good luck. I hope you are able to get the fines taken away. That is a lot of money.

[velochic]

Originally Posted by madis81

We never got a bill, so we assumed that the company was handling it.

(Bolding mine)

When your dh talks to the company about this, I would be very careful that he NOT word it that way. That means that he had thought about the toll bills, but took no initiative to find out what the company policy was on it and who was responsible for it, which would still make him liable for the tolls and fines.

Instead, I would ask them why, if he was responsible for the bills, was he not given the written policy and why he was not directly billed.

Having worked in Corporate America for 13 years before becoming a SAHM, I don't hold out much hope for you. It's kind of the employee's responsibility to know what the company policy is. Usually you have to sign something that says you are aware of the policies, etc. and that's the company's "get out of jail free" card for situations like this. I do hope you can get it cleared up, though. At least to get the fines waived. That is insane for tolls! Good luck!

[MonkeyPrincess]

Seems like the toll people thought the company would also handle the charges if they were sending the bills there. And why did the company wait until there was enough notices to fill a package to forward the bills to you?

I hope you fight it and win.

Good luck!

[SleeplessMommy]

Is the car registered in your name or the companies?

Do you have a transponder? (assuming easypass system)

I am pretty sure you can negotiate with a bill of that size.

[Juvysen]

GAH! That would make me cry, too! Hope you can get something worked out with someone. The tolls alone are a lot, but a lot less than with that huge fine slapped on there!

Looking forward to hearing how this turns out for you.

[zebra15]

Originally Posted by MonkeyPrincess

Seems like the toll people thought the company would also handle the charges if they were sending the bills there. And why did the company wait until there was enough notices to fill a package to forward the bills to you?

I hope you fight it and win.

Good luck!

The toll/state was sending the bills to the company/employer because that is where the car is registered.
Most likely the toll area has a system set up and takes a picture or video of everyone who goes through and a flash goes off or alarm when someone does not pay. The way it will be tracked is by license plate # which is probably registred to the company.

The same thing happens here with photo radar, and any fines/fee you incurr in a company car are the drivers responsibility. (flash goes off, picture gets taken and you get a bill in the mail, if the car is registered to a company it goes to HR then they will forward it to the employee)

When I was working back east and had to deal with toll roads etc I would pay them and at the end of the month turn in my expense report and be reimbursed.

I am so sorry you have this bill but the company now has a fine with the state and they want it paid, they can and will start payroll deductions to pay that off if you cant settle it otherwise. I hope you get it squared away soon.

[loitering]

I recently called about parking tickets on behalf of my mom, explained that she was on a limited income, and had the fees immediately waived down to the original charge. It wasn't nearly that amount, but I would definitely try it.

[Pinoikoi]

Any update op?

[leavemealone]

That would make me livid as well. Maybe not so much that the company didn't pay, though it would seem that if an employee is using a car for company business, it should pay tolls accumulated during that time, along with other valid costs associated with the vehicle. I would be more livid about the obscene amout of fines - almost $4800 in fines! I know there have to be fines for people who run the booth, but that is crazy! I hope it all works out and you can get it settled soon.

[gurumama]

I had two toll violations here in MA last month. My transponder was hooked up for auto refill for a credit card that had expired, and I hadn't updated the new cc info (didn't realize it).

I went through the toll system and got a *yellow* light that said "Call Fastlane". It happened twice.

I went home, logged in to my account, updated the cc info.

A week later I got 2 fine violation forms. $50 each.

**HERE IS THE IMPORTANT PART**--you can appeal the fines, *even if you're in the wrong*, if you have a transponder set up here. Even if you DO NOT, you can still appeal - it's just a slightly different process.

A successful appeal reduces the fine from $50 to $5.

So CALL and follow up!

[chiara]

how did the toll folks get the company's address if they weren't responsible for the bill?

[KatWrangler]

Originally Posted by chiara

how did the toll folks get the company's address if they weren't responsible for the bill?

The car is in the company name. So they just traced it back to the company and their address.

eta - as noted up thread. The tolls have cameras that take pictures of liscense plates for violators that don't pay.

[mamaofthree]

strange that it is such a huge fine. we got on a toll road on accident (mo place to turn around) and didn'thave money to pay the toll, got a ticket and a bill for $1.00. no fine at all. i would think you should be able to get out of the fines if you didn't know you had to pay for them. and i would assume (maybe wrongly) if you were doing company business they would pay you back for the gas and tolls, so they should pay the tolls anyway. i would also think if they got a fine they would contact you right away and say what is up?

h

[karkli]

OP, I can understand your reaction. I, too, would want to cry over this situation!

I'm confused by the people saying that the toll company/state would look up the owner of the vehicle based on license plate cams at the toll booth. That would assume that the driver (OP's DH) didn't actually stop to pay the tolls OR have a payment transponder installed. If that's the case, then I can see where OP's DH would be at fault for this situation and the company would have no responsibility for paying the bills.

But I can't see OP's DH skipping through the tolls and just assuming that his company would pick up whatever fines and fees were incurred as a result.

If that is what happened, then that's a completely different situation than what I was understanding.