UPDATED and CORRECTED: Fifteen tollway scofflaws owe $688,000

by Bob Reynolds of Metro City Beat

The North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) has identified 15 individuals that have an average debt of $46,000 for unpaid tolls, administrative fees and related expenses. According to NTTA, legal action is being pursued in each of these cases.

In Harris County, toll road officials have adopted an aggressive policy of having the Constable’s Office stop and arrest scofflaws who have multiple violations.

The state of Virginia may withhold vehicle registrations for individuals that have three or more unpaid violations. At present, there is no Texas law that permits the withholding of vehicle registration renewals or the renewal of an individual’s drivers license for toll violations.

Meantime, the Zip Cash program is losing money as more than $500,000 in fees have gone uncollected.

CORRECTION:

The above article stated that “there is no Texas law that permits the withholding of vehicle registration renewals or the renewal of an individual’s drivers license for toll violations.” This is in error.

The Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) and the North Texas Toll Road Authority (NTTA) operate under different statutes.

According to D. Page Rander, Communications Coordinator for the HCTRA, the Houston-area agency is allowed to withhold vehicle registration renewals for owners whose vehicles have excessive violations on more than two occasions in a 12-month period. Specifically, the HCTRA may enforce its decisions by:

1. placing a device that prohibits movement of a motor vehicle on the vehicle that is the subject of the decision;

2. imposing an additional fine if the fine for the offense is not paid within a specified time; or

3. refusing to allow the registration of the vehicle.