News 12's Katelynn Ulrich worked with a frustrated New Yorker who faced thousands of dollars in toll violations she didn't know she had.
Jacqueline Murphy's registration is suspended due to almost $10,000 owed in tolls and fees – fees she didn’t know she had. Part of that debt went into collections, and Murphy paid what the collector asked for, but it did not clear her suspension since part of her debt was owed directly to the Port Authority, which Jacqueline says she wasn't aware of.
Murphy works in a school and says she can’t afford to sit on the phone for two hours to sort out her debt issues. She says she took a week off of work when she wasn’t able to take paid time off, losing money just to figure out her situation with the debt she owed.
Murphy said that she had been communicating with the MTA Suspension Line. Jacqueline called the MTA Suspension Line because she said she couldn't get through to the Port Authority Suspension Line.
Two days later, the Port Authority’s Toll Payer Advocate Office got back to Murphy, providing a list of options. The office is offering a settlement or payment plan, something that Murphy says she was initially told they don’t do.
The fees are still in the thousands, and according to the Port Authority, disputing the fees is not an option. Team 12 Investigates and Murphy are still looking into her registration issues.
Are you experiencing similar issues with toll and EZPass fines? Reach out to Team 12 Investigates at the contact information below: