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Resident complaints about Bay City Bridge Partners' toll notices highlighted at Bay City meeting
Summary
A public speaker told the City Commission an elderly resident received a toll notice from Bay City Bridge Partners that included a $15 fee and a short payment window; the speaker raised concerns about mailing delays, collection threats and impact on younger drivers.
A Bay City resident told the City Commission on Sept. 15 that an elderly neighbor received a toll notice from Bay City Bridge Partners with fees and a due date that arrived after the payment deadline.
Jeff Reed, a resident of Bay City, described receiving a mailed notice on behalf of an older neighbor and said the bill showed a $2 toll and a $15 fee, for a total of $49 on a single crossing. Reed criticized the company's billing practices and the timing of the mailing, noting the envelope was postmarked Sept. 8 with a due date of Sept. 13. "These guys are slippery snakes," Reed said of Bay City Bridge Partners, and he warned that the notices can intimidate younger drivers and may escalate to collections.
Reed said the envelope included language that holds the vehicle registrant responsible and that the company could refer unpaid accounts to collections. He said he visited the elderly resident to retrieve the notice and that the resident was upset. The speaker urged residents to scrutinize notices from the bridge operator and said the community had discussed boycotting the company; Reed suggested ignoring collection notices to make a point, but did not present a formal proposal to the commission.
The commission did not take action on the complaint during the meeting; staff did not announce any planned follow-up or investigation on the record. The speaker's comments were recorded during the public-comment portion of the meeting.
