YOU'RE WATCHING CHANNEL 2,
HOUSTON'S HOME FOR NEWS.
WELL, YOU CAN ALMOST HEAR
THE MONEY DISAPPEARING FROM YOUR
ACCOUNT.
EVERY TIME YOU PRESS -- PASS A
TOLL PLAZA RIGHT HERE IN
HOUSTON.
SO WHEN ONE DRIVER WAS BEING
OVERCHARGED OVER AND OVER AGAIN,
HE TURNED TO CHANNEL 2
INVESTIGATES TO GET TO THE
BOTTOM OF IT AND WE FOUND HE'S
DEFINITELY NOT ALONE.
TONIGHT INVESTIGATOR
JACE LARSON IS REVEALING THE TOP
REASONS FOR UNDERFAIR CHARGES,
PLUS HOW YOU CAN FIGHT BACK AND
WIN.
JACE IS LIVE WITH THOSE ANSWERS
FOR US TONIGHT.
JACE?
Reporter: HEY, GUYS, GOOD
EVENING TO YOU.
WE HAVE A COPY HERE OF TOLL ROAD
COMPLAINTS BY DRIVERS AND LOOK
AT THIS.
JUST GOES ON AND ON.
WHEN YOU READ THESE, IT IS CLEAR
THAT PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED.
IT SEEMS THEY ARE IMPOSSIBLE FOR
SOME OF US TO AVOID.
AND OUR TOLL ROADS CAN GET
EXPENSIVE.
I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THE
HARRIS COUNTY TOLL ROAD
AUTHORITY FOR THE PAST 90 DAYS.
Reporter: WHEN YOU GET
OVERCHARGED IT CAN BE MADDENING.
I GET THE RUN AROUND.
ALL I HEAR IS GIVE IT 10
BUSINESS DAYS, WE'RE GOING SEND
AN EMAIL AND SOMEBODY WILL BE IN
CONTACT WITH YOU AND OF COURSE
NOBODY EVER CALLS ME.
Reporter: WHEN BRIAN TOWS HIS
JET SKI ON TOLL ROADS, SENSORS
THINK HE HAS AN EXTRA AXLE.
THEY FIGURED OUT WHY AND IT'S
BECAUSE MY LICENSE PLATE ON MY
TRAILER HANGS TOO LOW AND THE
SENSOR IS PICKING IT UP AS
ANOTHER AXLE.
Reporter: THE AUTHORITY
CLAIMS HIS PROBLEM ISN'T COMMON.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE MOST COMMON
COMPLAINTS, WE FOUND HUNDREDS OF
YOU ARE UNHAPPY ABOUT TOLL ROAD
VIOLATIONS.
WE'RE NOT SOME BAD AGENCY
THAT'S TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF THE BUB BUT PEOPLE IGNORE IT
THINKING IT'S GOING TO GO AWAY.
THEY WON'T BOTHER ME AGAIN.
AND SO IT GOES FROM THAT FIRST
INVOICE AND THEN THOSE START
ACCUMULATING.
Reporter: THE SPOKESWOMAN
SAYS WHAT STARTS AS AN $11
VIOLATION CAN EACH OVER TIME TO
MORE THAN A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
WE WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO MAKE
SIMPLE MISTAKES.
BUT IF YOU'RE A HABITUAL
VIOLATOR, WE CAN'T WORK WITH
YOU.
Reporter: SOMETIMES DRIVERS
TRY TO GET OUT OF A VIOLATION,
LIKE THIS PERSON CLAIMING THAT
HE WAS DOWNTOWN AT COURT WHEN HE
WAS CHARGED HIS TOLL.
BUT THE TOLL ROAD AUTHORITY DID
ITS OWN INVESTIGATION AND FOUND
HIS VEHICLE WAS IN FACT ON THE
TOLL ROAD.
IF YOU KNOW YOU'RE
RESPONSIBLE FOR IT, THEN THE
BEST THING TO DO IS PAY IT.
Reporter: MOST PEOPLE DON'T
BLATANTLY RUN TOLLS WITHOUT
PAYING.
HERE ARE THE MOST COMMON WAYS
THAT DRIVERS GET FINED.
THEY FORGET TO UPDATE THEIR
EZ TAG ACCOUNT WHEN THEY GET A
NEW CREDIT CARD OR THEY TRY TO
MOVE THEIR EZ TAG TO ANOTHER CAR
TEMPORARILY.
SOME DON'T UPDATE THEIR CAR
REGISTRATION AFTER THEY SELL A
VEHICLE.
THAT MEANS THEY KEEP GETTING
CHARGED WHILE THE NEW DRIVER IS
ON THE TOLL ROAD.
WE MAY BE ABLE TO WAIVE THEIR
FEES.
Reporter: YOU HAVE TO CALL
CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BE PREPARED
TO WAIT IF YOU'RE CALLING ON A
MONDAY OR AT LUNCHTIME.
THE SHORTEST HOLD TIMES ARE
FRIDAYS.
OVERALL, THE AVERAGE WAIT IS
JUST MORE THAN SIX MINUTES.
IF YOU DON'T CALL AND GET YOUR
ISSUE RESOLVED WITHIN THE FIRST
MONTH AND A HALF, WELL, YOU'LL
GET FINED 42 MORE DOLLARS AND BE
SENT TO COLLECTIONS.
THERE'S STILL ONE MORE CHANCE TO
WIN.
YOU CAN GO BEFORE AN IMPARTIAL
ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE AND PLEAD
YOUR CASE.
BRIAN NEVER HAD TO GO TO COURT.
THE TOLL ROAD GAVE HIM A REFUND.
IT IS ALSO MANUALLY WATCHING HIS
ACCOUNT EACH MONTH BECAUSE
THERE'S NO PROMISE THAT HIS
PROBLEM WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
I WOULD SAY GIVE ME MY MONEY
BACK AND GET A BETTER SYSTEM TO
CHECK THOSE AXLES.
Reporter: SO IF YOU GO TO
COURT AND LOSE YOUR CASE, WELL,
THEN IF YOU DON'T PAY, THEY CAN
ACTUALLY BLOCK YOUR
REGISTRATION.
THAT MEANS WHEN YOU GO TO RENEW
YOUR CAR'S REGISTRATION, YOU
WON'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
NOW, IF YOU'VE HAD SOMETHING
GOING ON IN THE TOLL ROADS AND
JUST CAN'T SEEM TO GET IT
SOLVED, I WANT TO SEE IF I CAN
HELP YOU OUT.
SO TAKE DOWN MY EMAIL ADDRESS,
CONTACT ME ON TWITTER AND
FACEBOOK.
I'M GOING TO BE CHATTING WITH
YOU RIGHT NOW ABOUT TOLL ROADS.
I'M GOING TO DO WHATEVER I CAN
TO TRY AND HELP AS MANY OF YOU
WHO ARE HAVING PROBLEMS.
WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.