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Residents press MVA and E-ZPass over large fines and collections; county delegation seeks remedy
Summary
Local officials and residents told Maryland Transportation officials about E-ZPass billing and collections that left some residents with large balances and registration suspensions; MVA and MDTA staff outlined ongoing customer-service improvements, payment-plan options and case-level reviews.
Several Queen Anne's County residents and commissioners pressed Maryland Transportation and E-ZPass staff at the Sept. 23 meeting about cases where customers accumulated thousands in tolls and far larger sums after penalties and collection actions.
Delegate and county leaders described constituent cases in which unpaid tolls had led to registration holds, suspension of driving privileges and large penalty assessments. One resident described a $4,000 toll balance that had ballooned to roughly $22,000 after penalties; county leaders said those cases were causing severe financial hardship and, in at least one instance, disrupted employment.
MVA deputy administrator Leslie Dews and MDTA staff acknowledged the public complaints and described several steps under way: enhanced call-handling to prevent dropped contacts, a new second-notice plan before referring accounts to collections, payment-plan options for customers, and the ability in some cases to reverse or recover debt from collections where the agency had made an error. MDTA's E-ZPass operations team was identified as the constituent-service contact point and county leaders said staff have escalated several individual cases to agency teams for prompt review.
Officials urged residents with high balances or active collections to submit their cases to MVA/MDTA constituent services for individualized review. The county delegation said it will continue to press state agencies for operational fixes and, if necessary, legislative changes to ensure proportionate penalties and local enforcement resources are coordinated with any automated or enhanced enforcement.
Why it matters: registration holds and large penalty bills can block residents from driving to work and create cascading financial problems. County officials called for clearer notices, better call-back procedures and more flexible resolution options for households in hardship.
Ending: MDTA and MVA said they were building procedural fixes and additional customer outreach; delegates and commissioners asked the agencies to prioritize review of high-balance accounts and to report back on progress.
