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Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Fairfax Court orders woman to pay 495ezpass thousands of dollars
Posted by:
Fox News
()
Date: October 30, 2014 06:10PM
By Ari Ashe
More Reports
"It's outrageous. It's exorbitant," says Toni Cooley, and for now a court partially agrees. (WTOP)
FAIRFAX, Va. -- A Fairfax County woman who was charged more than $10,000 for 11 unpaid trips on the 495 Express Lanes went to court on Wednesday and won a partial victory over the company that operates the toll lanes.
Toni Cooley received the notices after her EZPass did not work in November and early December 2012. Cooley had to update the credit card on her EZPass account and did so, but not before she was charged $12.50 per unpaid trip in administrative fees. She didn't know about the problem until after taking the 11 trips because they were so close together.
Transurban, the private company which operates the 495 and 95 Express Lanes, eventually charged her $25 per trip, then $100 per trip in administrative fees while sending her to collections.
"It's outrageous. It's exorbitant. Especially since I paid them for all the toll trips and made it clear on the check that it was for the entire amount of the unpaid tolls. They cashed my check," says Cooley.
Although Transurban announced on Monday it would eliminate these administrative fees for first-time offenders, Cooley did not qualify for the new program because she was already in the court system.
Under the new program, drivers must pay the original tolls within 60 days and show Transurban that it resolved the problem that lead to the issue. Cooley did that, yet Transurban pursued Cooley for $10,692 in tolls, administrative fees and civil penalties.
"Ten thousand dollars for $11 in tolls that I've already paid is just beyond reasonable," says Cooley.
Transurban offered Cooley a $2,500 settlement before the court proceedings began and waived seven of the 11 violations. She rejected the offer.
Cooley's attorney argued that the administrative fees were illegal, calling them unreasonable and excessive.
Virginia code § 33.2-503 allows Transurban to collect administrative fees "so as to recover the expenses of collecting the unpaid toll, which administrative fee shall be reasonably related to the actual cost of collecting the unpaid toll and not exceed $100 per violation."
District Court Judge Michael J. Cassidy agreed and dismissed the administrative fees.
"I'm very pleased the judge ruled against them because they didn't have any evidence about what it cost them to process and figure out who is the owner of a car. They send out a piece of paper. I can't believe it costs them $100 per violation," says Cooley.
However, Cassidy ruled that the civil penalties were legal under Virginia law. The civil penalties totaled about $8,800 of the $10,692 bill sent to Cooley. Since Transurban agreed to drop seven of the violations, the judge ordered Cooley to pay about $2,000 for the remaining four.
Her attorney argued the escalating civil penalties should only apply a second and third transgression on the 495 Express Lanes, pointing to drunk driving laws. Cassidy ruled that criminal standards do not apply to civil cases, even if the excessive penalties are "quasi-criminal" in nature.
Transurban doesn't believe it's doing anything wrong.
"The process we've been using prior to Monday is the same that other Virginia toll roads use, and toll roads around the country. It's not that Transurban isn't within industry standards and Virginia code, it's that we wanted to try and help EZPass customers avoid issues moving forward," writes Transurban spokeswoman Pierce Coffee in a statement.
Additionally, Coffee said that the process Transurban used prior to Monday has been consistently upheld in court.
Cooley believes this is a matter of principle.
"I'm very pleased with the outcome. We got the admin fees struck. We're still working on the civil penalties, which my attorney believes will be struck down on appeal. As long as this case plays out in a court of law, that is what matters. I want to set a precedent for people going forward," she says.
Cooley is due back in Fairfax County General District Court on Jan. 8.
Follow @WTOP on Twitter and on the WTOP Facebook page.
© 2014 WTOP. All Rights Reserved.
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?
More Reports
"It's outrageous. It's exorbitant," says Toni Cooley, and for now a court partially agrees. (WTOP)
FAIRFAX, Va. -- A Fairfax County woman who was charged more than $10,000 for 11 unpaid trips on the 495 Express Lanes went to court on Wednesday and won a partial victory over the company that operates the toll lanes.
Toni Cooley received the notices after her EZPass did not work in November and early December 2012. Cooley had to update the credit card on her EZPass account and did so, but not before she was charged $12.50 per unpaid trip in administrative fees. She didn't know about the problem until after taking the 11 trips because they were so close together.
Transurban, the private company which operates the 495 and 95 Express Lanes, eventually charged her $25 per trip, then $100 per trip in administrative fees while sending her to collections.
"It's outrageous. It's exorbitant. Especially since I paid them for all the toll trips and made it clear on the check that it was for the entire amount of the unpaid tolls. They cashed my check," says Cooley.
Although Transurban announced on Monday it would eliminate these administrative fees for first-time offenders, Cooley did not qualify for the new program because she was already in the court system.
Under the new program, drivers must pay the original tolls within 60 days and show Transurban that it resolved the problem that lead to the issue. Cooley did that, yet Transurban pursued Cooley for $10,692 in tolls, administrative fees and civil penalties.
"Ten thousand dollars for $11 in tolls that I've already paid is just beyond reasonable," says Cooley.
Transurban offered Cooley a $2,500 settlement before the court proceedings began and waived seven of the 11 violations. She rejected the offer.
Cooley's attorney argued that the administrative fees were illegal, calling them unreasonable and excessive.
Virginia code § 33.2-503 allows Transurban to collect administrative fees "so as to recover the expenses of collecting the unpaid toll, which administrative fee shall be reasonably related to the actual cost of collecting the unpaid toll and not exceed $100 per violation."
District Court Judge Michael J. Cassidy agreed and dismissed the administrative fees.
"I'm very pleased the judge ruled against them because they didn't have any evidence about what it cost them to process and figure out who is the owner of a car. They send out a piece of paper. I can't believe it costs them $100 per violation," says Cooley.
However, Cassidy ruled that the civil penalties were legal under Virginia law. The civil penalties totaled about $8,800 of the $10,692 bill sent to Cooley. Since Transurban agreed to drop seven of the violations, the judge ordered Cooley to pay about $2,000 for the remaining four.
Her attorney argued the escalating civil penalties should only apply a second and third transgression on the 495 Express Lanes, pointing to drunk driving laws. Cassidy ruled that criminal standards do not apply to civil cases, even if the excessive penalties are "quasi-criminal" in nature.
Transurban doesn't believe it's doing anything wrong.
"The process we've been using prior to Monday is the same that other Virginia toll roads use, and toll roads around the country. It's not that Transurban isn't within industry standards and Virginia code, it's that we wanted to try and help EZPass customers avoid issues moving forward," writes Transurban spokeswoman Pierce Coffee in a statement.
Additionally, Coffee said that the process Transurban used prior to Monday has been consistently upheld in court.
Cooley believes this is a matter of principle.
"I'm very pleased with the outcome. We got the admin fees struck. We're still working on the civil penalties, which my attorney believes will be struck down on appeal. As long as this case plays out in a court of law, that is what matters. I want to set a precedent for people going forward," she says.
Cooley is due back in Fairfax County General District Court on Jan. 8.
Follow @WTOP on Twitter and on the WTOP Facebook page.
© 2014 WTOP. All Rights Reserved.
Sponsored LinksYou May Like
You Won't Believe Who's Related to Abraham Lincoln
Ancestry
20 Poisons To Your Happiness
GoWeLoveIt.info
How affordable Banking Services Can Improve the Livelihood of the World's Imp…
Paid Post by Xerox
Are Landlines Still Relevant?
Asurion
by Taboola
More From Around the Web (Sponsored)
How Does 53-Year-Old Mom Now Look 27?
Tricks Car Insurance Agents Don't Want You to Know
If You Don't Speak Spanish, Watch This Video Now
68-Year-Old Grandma Looks 40 Again
Revealed: Our Favorite Weight Loss Remedy of 2014
Vintage Engagement Rings
How to Reduce Your Belly Fat
The #1 Worst Exercise for Aging (Stop Doing It)
?
Re: Fairfax Court orders woman to pay 495ezpass thousands of dollars
Posted by:
Nostradamus
()
Date: October 30, 2014 07:53PM
Why can't you copy and paste like a normal person? You are truly retarded.
Re: Fairfax Court orders woman to pay 495ezpass thousands of dollars
Posted by:
Priapus
()
Date: October 30, 2014 08:25PM
The OP is just fucking weird.
Re: Fairfax Court orders woman to pay 495ezpass thousands of dollars
Posted by:
Fox News
()
Date: October 30, 2014 08:44PM
Nostradamus Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why can't you copy and paste like a normal person?
> You are truly retarded.
By Ari Ashe
More Reports
"It's outrageous. It's exorbitant," says Toni Cooley, and for now a court partially agrees. (WTOP)
FAIRFAX, Va. -- A Fairfax County woman who was charged more than $10,000 for 11 unpaid trips on the 495 Express Lanes went to court on Wednesday and won a partial victory over the company that operates the toll lanes.
Toni Cooley received the notices after her EZPass did not work in November and early December 2012. Cooley had to update the credit card on her EZPass account and did so, but not before she was charged $12.50 per unpaid trip in administrative fees. She didn't know about the problem until after taking the 11 trips because they were so close together.
Transurban, the private company which operates the 495 and 95 Express Lanes, eventually charged her $25 per trip, then $100 per trip in administrative fees while sending her to collections.
"It's outrageous. It's exorbitant. Especially since I paid them for all the toll trips and made it clear on the check that it was for the entire amount of the unpaid tolls. They cashed my check," says Cooley.
Although Transurban announced on Monday it would eliminate these administrative fees for first-time offenders, Cooley did not qualify for the new program because she was already in the court system.
Under the new program, drivers must pay the original tolls within 60 days and show Transurban that it resolved the problem that lead to the issue. Cooley did that, yet Transurban pursued Cooley for $10,692 in tolls, administrative fees and civil penalties.
"Ten thousand dollars for $11 in tolls that I've already paid is just beyond reasonable," says Cooley.
Transurban offered Cooley a $2,500 settlement before the court proceedings began and waived seven of the 11 violations. She rejected the offer.
Cooley's attorney argued that the administrative fees were illegal, calling them unreasonable and excessive.
Virginia code § 33.2-503 allows Transurban to collect administrative fees "so as to recover the expenses of collecting the unpaid toll, which administrative fee shall be reasonably related to the actual cost of collecting the unpaid toll and not exceed $100 per violation."
District Court Judge Michael J. Cassidy agreed and dismissed the administrative fees.
"I'm very pleased the judge ruled against them because they didn't have any evidence about what it cost them to process and figure out who is the owner of a car. They send out a piece of paper. I can't believe it costs them $100 per violation," says Cooley.
However, Cassidy ruled that the civil penalties were legal under Virginia law. The civil penalties totaled about $8,800 of the $10,692 bill sent to Cooley. Since Transurban agreed to drop seven of the violations, the judge ordered Cooley to pay about $2,000 for the remaining four.
Her attorney argued the escalating civil penalties should only apply a second and third transgression on the 495 Express Lanes, pointing to drunk driving laws. Cassidy ruled that criminal standards do not apply to civil cases, even if the excessive penalties are "quasi-criminal" in nature.
Transurban doesn't believe it's doing anything wrong.
"The process we've been using prior to Monday is the same that other Virginia toll roads use, and toll roads around the country. It's not that Transurban isn't within industry standards and Virginia code, it's that we wanted to try and help EZPass customers avoid issues moving forward," writes Transurban spokeswoman Pierce Coffee in a statement.
Additionally, Coffee said that the process Transurban used prior to Monday has been consistently upheld in court.
Cooley believes this is a matter of principle.
"I'm very pleased with the outcome. We got the admin fees struck. We're still working on the civil penalties, which my attorney believes will be struck down on appeal. As long as this case plays out in a court of law, that is what matters. I want to set a precedent for people going forward," she says.
Cooley is due back in Fairfax County General District Court on Jan. 8.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why can't you copy and paste like a normal person?
> You are truly retarded.
By Ari Ashe
More Reports
"It's outrageous. It's exorbitant," says Toni Cooley, and for now a court partially agrees. (WTOP)
FAIRFAX, Va. -- A Fairfax County woman who was charged more than $10,000 for 11 unpaid trips on the 495 Express Lanes went to court on Wednesday and won a partial victory over the company that operates the toll lanes.
Toni Cooley received the notices after her EZPass did not work in November and early December 2012. Cooley had to update the credit card on her EZPass account and did so, but not before she was charged $12.50 per unpaid trip in administrative fees. She didn't know about the problem until after taking the 11 trips because they were so close together.
Transurban, the private company which operates the 495 and 95 Express Lanes, eventually charged her $25 per trip, then $100 per trip in administrative fees while sending her to collections.
"It's outrageous. It's exorbitant. Especially since I paid them for all the toll trips and made it clear on the check that it was for the entire amount of the unpaid tolls. They cashed my check," says Cooley.
Although Transurban announced on Monday it would eliminate these administrative fees for first-time offenders, Cooley did not qualify for the new program because she was already in the court system.
Under the new program, drivers must pay the original tolls within 60 days and show Transurban that it resolved the problem that lead to the issue. Cooley did that, yet Transurban pursued Cooley for $10,692 in tolls, administrative fees and civil penalties.
"Ten thousand dollars for $11 in tolls that I've already paid is just beyond reasonable," says Cooley.
Transurban offered Cooley a $2,500 settlement before the court proceedings began and waived seven of the 11 violations. She rejected the offer.
Cooley's attorney argued that the administrative fees were illegal, calling them unreasonable and excessive.
Virginia code § 33.2-503 allows Transurban to collect administrative fees "so as to recover the expenses of collecting the unpaid toll, which administrative fee shall be reasonably related to the actual cost of collecting the unpaid toll and not exceed $100 per violation."
District Court Judge Michael J. Cassidy agreed and dismissed the administrative fees.
"I'm very pleased the judge ruled against them because they didn't have any evidence about what it cost them to process and figure out who is the owner of a car. They send out a piece of paper. I can't believe it costs them $100 per violation," says Cooley.
However, Cassidy ruled that the civil penalties were legal under Virginia law. The civil penalties totaled about $8,800 of the $10,692 bill sent to Cooley. Since Transurban agreed to drop seven of the violations, the judge ordered Cooley to pay about $2,000 for the remaining four.
Her attorney argued the escalating civil penalties should only apply a second and third transgression on the 495 Express Lanes, pointing to drunk driving laws. Cassidy ruled that criminal standards do not apply to civil cases, even if the excessive penalties are "quasi-criminal" in nature.
Transurban doesn't believe it's doing anything wrong.
"The process we've been using prior to Monday is the same that other Virginia toll roads use, and toll roads around the country. It's not that Transurban isn't within industry standards and Virginia code, it's that we wanted to try and help EZPass customers avoid issues moving forward," writes Transurban spokeswoman Pierce Coffee in a statement.
Additionally, Coffee said that the process Transurban used prior to Monday has been consistently upheld in court.
Cooley believes this is a matter of principle.
"I'm very pleased with the outcome. We got the admin fees struck. We're still working on the civil penalties, which my attorney believes will be struck down on appeal. As long as this case plays out in a court of law, that is what matters. I want to set a precedent for people going forward," she says.
Cooley is due back in Fairfax County General District Court on Jan. 8.
Re: Fairfax Court orders woman to pay 495ezpass thousands of dollars
Posted by:
Fucktransurban
()
Date: October 31, 2014 03:56AM
After reading so many transurban horror stories, I no longer use the hot lanes.
Re: Fairfax Court orders woman to pay 495ezpass thousands of dollars
Posted by:
Karma Schmarma
()
Date: October 31, 2014 10:09AM
Are these deadbeats being hit up with huge fines the same assholes who brag here at FFXU about riding the lanes without ever paying? Sure hope so!
Re: Fairfax Court orders woman to pay 495ezpass thousands of dollars
Posted by:
YHm4t
()
Date: October 31, 2014 12:05PM
Toni Cooley is basically a hero. She is paying a lot of money to expose the usery penalties imposed by Transurban. Her suit shows the just made up the administrative fees. Id like to see them overtly advertise that they have the right to make you pay $1000 per violation in civil fees. Oh and by the way if you use the toll roads several times before you are even notified there is a problem you still owe 1k for every time you unwittingly used the roads.
In my opinion it is unreasonable and excessive. I am glad she is fighting...
In my opinion it is unreasonable and excessive. I am glad she is fighting...
Re: Fairfax Court orders woman to pay 495ezpass thousands of dollars
Posted by:
HOV MODE ON
()
Date: October 31, 2014 12:53PM
Karma Schmarma Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Are these deadbeats being hit up with huge fines
> the same assholes who brag here at FFXU about
> riding the lanes without ever paying? Sure hope
> so!
No.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Are these deadbeats being hit up with huge fines
> the same assholes who brag here at FFXU about
> riding the lanes without ever paying? Sure hope
> so!
No.