A woman learned an expensive lesson after lending out her car resulted in thousands of unpaid fines.
Dee Davis, a resident of Fort Worth, Texas, didn’t think much about lending her car to her then-boyfriend until a surprising toll bill arrived in the mail.
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In the summer of 2023, she opened a $17,200 bill in the mail, the culmination of several unpaid toll fees, the newspaper reported. Dallas Morning News.
As a single mother working two jobs to stay afloat and support herself, she was shocked by the price.
By necessity, Davis is current on his bills and could not recall ever traveling on toll roads; she avoids them to save money.
The unpaid toll fees date back to 2020, when she and her now ex-boyfriend began dating.
She was allowing her partner to use her car to get to and from work as he would otherwise not have reliable transportation.
Davis and her ex-boyfriend split in 2021, but she didn’t receive her first bill until 2023.
She called the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) about a payment plan for the fees, but the lowest option was $300 a month, too much for her budget.
CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR KINDNESS
As she tries to figure out how to handle the situation, Davis carries an envelope with the warnings as evidence when she is pulled over.
Due to unpaid fees, she was categorized as a “habitual rapist”, making her unable to renew her registration; she has been driving without a car for two years.
This title is only granted to people who have 100 or more outstanding toll fees.
As a result of the record company, Davis was arrested five times in just four months.
According to her mother, police officers stop her but usually let her leave with a warning when they hear her story.
At this point, many of the officers who stopped her know her by name and always give her thanks for the situation.
She is usually stopped around 11:30 pm on her way home from her second job.
But Davis fears that the consequences of his ex’s irresponsibility will only increase.
“They can take you to jail,” Davis said.
“I’m frantic about this.”
Davis’ registration will remain blocked until she can settle her $17,200 fee or begin a payment plan with the NTTA.
Once she manages to settle her fees, it will still take between seven and ten days before she can re-register her vehicle.
The NTTA and Fort Worth Police Department immediately responded to the US Sun’s request for comment.
PAYING TOLLS
Most states have tolls for travel between states or on major highways.
Historically, tolls were paid at toll booths, with drivers stopping on major interstate highways and handing money to an attendant before continuing their journey.
As technology advanced, so did the method of paying tolls.
Drivers were soon able to pay tolls in advance and attach their funds to scanned devices at toll booths, reducing payment time and easing toll traffic.
The most recent iteration of toll technology are roadside cameras that take photos of signs while the driver maintains their normal driving pace.
Traffic authorities then use the photos to link the car to an address and send invoices to the owner at registration.
Some transit authorities offer paperless options and allow drivers to pay online.
Source: Federal Highway Administration
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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