Here's how single extra space in a license plate wound up costing a driver thousands in fees and tolls
Unpaid MTA tolls can quickly spiral into a massive financial burden, as CBS News New York's "Driven Into Debt" series has repeatedly shown.
Some drivers claim they have no idea anything is wrong. Until the bill is suddenly in the thousands, and the fallout can spill over to people, who didn't even rack up the tolls themselves.
It can happen fast, even if you think you're doing everything right.
A $25 toll bill turned into $3,000 in fees and tolls
Melissa Lichtman said she has E-ZPass and pays it, on time. Last month she received a small toll bill, saying she owed $25.
"And everything as far as I knew was fine," Lichtman said. "Let me go on and pay it. I must have misunderstood something."
When she scanned the QR code, the total due jumped. Lichtman owed the MTA $3,036.44.
"I thought I better call these people because something's not right, like something's wrong," Lichtman said.
Something was wrong. She said she discovered that, months before, an E-ZPass rep added her plate incorrectly, inserting a single extra space. Because of that error, trips in the congestion zone didn't post to her E-ZPass account. Instead, notices were sent by mail, or they should've been.
"I'm adding money every week. So why would I not pay attention to this, except for that I didn't know about it?" Lichtman said.
Lichtman claims she never received the notices by mail until Nov. 5, and by then the late fees snowballed.
"It's wrong. They made a mistake and I'm paying the price," Lichtman said.
An MTA spokesman said Lichtman's "plate is now correctly entered," but Lichtman said her debt still stands and she must enter into a payment plan, or her registration will be suspended.
"Who the heck wants to get hit with a crime?"
Attorney Ron Cook said what could start out as a civil matter could turn criminal, because a suspended registration can trigger a criminal charges, even if the they're isn't the one who racked up the tolls.
"That's a pretty strong hammer, because who the heck wants to get hit with a crime," Cook said.
That's what happened to Karla Quito's son.
"I just didn't know what to do," Quito said.
Quito said her husband owed $1,861.20 in tolls. With fees, the total ballooned to $18,761.20. The car's registration was suspended. While it was suspended, her son was charged with a misdemeanor for driving his dad's car, even though he didn't incur the tolls.
Cook says the charge was dismissed only after the father reached a payment arrangement with the MTA.
"We went through a lot. Finally, it's over, in the sense, at least, OK, now we're making payments," Quito said.
"Nobody should have this much stress in their life over tolls"
"It's the responsibility of any drive to ensure they are driving a properly registered ... vehicle," The MTA said in a statement.
"It's just high anxiety," Lichtman said. "And nobody cares or listens to you, except for you."
Lichtman says though this wasn't her mistake, the MTA is only offering to reduce her fees, not erase them.
"My hope really ... the end game is that E-ZPass will make things not this way for everybody. Nobody should have this much stress in their life over tolls," Lichtman said.
Takeaways for drivers? Check your account. Make sure your plate is entered perfectly. If there's an error, you could end up in tolls by mail, paying more and risking fees. If you need help, contact the toll payer advocate for the specific tolling agency, since attorneys like Cook are not available for free.
As we continue to look into the MTA's fee system and their policies, drivers who want to share their experiences can reach out to Mahsa Saeidi by clicking here.