Exorbitant NTTA fines anger Garland family

The longer you wait the more you pay, especially when it comes to owed tolls to the North Texas Tollway Authority.

The NTTA often charges exorbitant administrative fees in addition to modest late fees. But, the NTTA board will likely consider changes to those high fees later this month.

The idea behind administrative fees is to crack down on habitual violators and help pay the cost of toll collection, the NTTA says.

One North Texas family found out the hard way what happens if you don’t pay your NTTA bill on time.

George Worth and his daughter, Tina Chandler, didn’t pay their NTTA Zip Cash bill on time. They were prepared to pay late fees, but they weren’t prepared for what they saw. They received four invoices for about $66 in tolls. Their late fees came to $10 dollars, but the administrative fees totaled an unbelievable $1,845.

“When I got that bill, really felt like I was going to have a heart attack,” Chandler said.

Her father was also bewildered.

“I have high blood pressure,” Worth said. “So, after I finished talking to my wife about it, the first thing I did was take my high blood pressure medicine. I was shocked.”

The family had a difficult time understanding how the agency could charge a $25 administrative fee for every transaction or toll.

“I had one miserable weekend just wondering how am I going to pay this,” Worth said.

“That’s what I would like them to explain to us, how they can charge $800 on a $30 ticket?” Chandler said.

NTTA officials say they levy hefty administrative fees so the drivers who pay their tolls are not subsidizing the habitual violators. It’s a bit of a scare tactic that works. The NTTA waives most administrative fees if people pay what they owe.

In Worth and Chandler’s case, the $1,800 fee was reduced to $18. Even so, they’re still angry.

“If you don’t pay on time, you should pay late fees,” Worth said. “You owe them that. But, I don’t feel like I should pay almost $2,000 on $66 dollars worth of tolls.”

Sherita Coffelt, a spokeswoman for NTTA, apologized for the shock the administrative fees gave the Garland family.

“We’re not out to shock anyone,” Coffelt said.

The board is expected to discuss whether the fees are disproportionately unfair.