HCTRA violations not my truck

[droebuck]

HCTRA has sent me fines and now have a collection agency after me, problem is it's not my truck. HCTRA sent me a bill for toll road violations on a big rig that I don't own. The problem is this big rig somehow has the same license plate as a 2004 Silverado I owned. I explained to HCTRA the first time I got a bill and the guy said yeah there must be a mistake. Now months later I get a threatening letter from a collection agency. I no longer have the paperwork showing I traded in the 2004 and they said I have to provide proof I no longer own the vehicle that has that license plate. What should I do next?

[droebuck]

Mods move please

Can a moderator please move this to around the campfire?

[Bowtech38]

Dont they have a pic of the vehicle or the plate

[MetalMan2004]

The dmv might be able to give you some proof. Just give them the license plate and they should be able to help.

This also seems like a good point to rant on HCTRA. They blow, their fees are ridiculous, especially compared to the fees in other cities. They give you one notice and then sick lawyers on you when you didn’t even do anything. Can you tell I’m having currently fighting similar issues?

[shawn d]

There should be an image of the violations with the original invoices. Who did you trade the truck to. You should be able to get the paperwork from the dealership that shows you traded it. Also did you notify TXDOT to take it out of your name. There is a form online to send it. Anytime you sell a vehicle you need to remove plates and ez tag. You just need to produce the right paperwork to them.

[Draco]

So you have to prove your innocence rather than them proving your guilt. What a concept.

[MetalMan2004]

There should be an image of the violations with the original invoices. Who did you trade the truck to. You should be able to get the paperwork from the dealership that shows you traded it. Also did you notify TXDOT to take it out of your name. There is a form online to send it. Anytime you sell a vehicle you need to remove plates and ez tag. You just need to produce the right paperwork to them.

HCTRA told me just the other day that the online form you speak of isn’t enough. They couldn’t tell me what form I did need, all they could tell me was that it wasn’t enough.... the DMV website says otherwise.

[shawn d]

Form VTR 346 is the form to use. When you get the return on the plate it will show transfer date. It will still show previous owner. If the violations have gotten to the attorney you have had plenty of time to work with HCTRA. Also HCTRA does not receive any of the attorney fees.

[Passafist]

I had a similar problem but on my company truck, when I called HCTRA I explained it was a utility company truck and she looked at the photo and said I can tell it’s not an AT&T truck (and it was registered that way) so she said she would send it back. If it is showing a semi-truck but registration shows a half ton truck they should do an investigation

[Harry]

Fight the violations and when they dismiss them go get new plates and be don't with it all together, problem solved!!!

[droebuck]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys and yes the pictures show a semi and when you look up the plate it shows registered to a 2004 Silverado. I explained this to HCTRA months ago when I received the first notice and they told me that there must be a problem and they would investigate them out of nowhere I get a letter from a lawyer for collection. I'm trying to get the paperwork from the dealer when I traded it but that only shows a vin # not the license number so I don't know if that will help. When I called the law office they didn't want to hear any of this just kept saying I owed the money.

[stinkbelly]

I had a similar problem with the idiot toll people around here. They said my wife's car was a SUV. I had to find the right person who would actually look at their picture to see it wasn't a car. I also had them email me a copy of the picture so I would have the evidence. The computer was reading the SUV's license plate wrong.

You need to talk to the toll people and not the collection people. The collection people only have one job and it is to get money.

[SaintBlaise]

Thinking out loud...
Maybe you can run down the sale of your vehicle in another way. I'm sure you can find it's VIN # by calling your auto insurance company, or looking on an old statement. Then a title company may be able to use the VIN # to prove you don't own the truck. You know like when you buy a home, it is checked to see if there is a clear title.

Secondly. I would go down there and talk to a manager. Explain that this situation is not your fault, and it is costing you time and money to be made whole. Document everything from here out...keep every notice, date every conversation, record every single person with first and last name, title if possible. That will get their attention, and have them own up to direction. Once completed, I would make sure that the collections group have not notified the credit reporting agencies. You don't won't that tatoo.

[Texas276]

I know for a fact that they can't tell the difference between the letter O and the number 0 on my wife's plate....does your plate have either?

[shawn d]

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