Christina Spicer  |  July 11, 2014

Category: Consumer News

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Golden Gate BridgeThe Bay Area Toll Authority, Highway and Transportation District, the Golden Gage Bridge, and Xerox State and Local Solutions have been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging that the Golden Gate Bridge’s electronic tolling system implemented in March 2013 unfairly assesses fees to drivers, not giving them enough notice or time to pay for crossing the bridge before they are penalized with late fees.

Lead plaintiff, Michael Saliani, alleges in his class action lawsuit that the recently implemented tolling system that is now mandatory for all drivers crossing the land mark leads to fines of $76 resulting in a windfall for the bridge and its private contractor who manages the tolling system, Xerox.

Last spring, the Golden Gate Bridge removed the option for drivers to manually pay the $6 toll to cross and became an all-electronic tolling system, alleges Saliani in the Golden Gate toll class action lawsuit.

Under the electronic program, drivers can mount a transponder in their vehicle and enroll in the “FasTrak” program which deducts money from their account through the program every time the driver passes under a sensor in the bridge. Otherwise, drivers who do not enroll and use the FasTrak program must pay online through the “Pay-By-Plate” program either 30 days before crossing the bridge or within 48 hours of their crossing.

Under the Pay-By-Plate program, the driver’s license plate is recorded and assessed the toll. According to the complaints, 85 percent of the vehicles that cross the bridge are enrolled in the FasTrak program, while those who are not enrolled in the FasTrak or License Plate Account programs, and who do not make the onetime payment online under the Pay-By-Plate program, are assessed a toll evasion violation that they must pay within 30 days.

“(V)ehicle owners who fail to pay the $6 toll within 30 days after citation – regardless of whether the vehicle owner actually receives notice of the toll evasion violation – are assessed a $25 penalty,” Saliani alleges in the Golden Gate FasTrak class action lawsuit, and “[v]ehicle owners who fail to pay the toll and $25 penalty are assessed an additional $45 ‘delinquency’ penalty. As a result, vehicle owners may be required to pay $76, or over ten times the amount of the toll, for each Golden Gate Bridge crossing.”

The Bay Area Toll Authority and Golden Gate Bridge contracts with Xerox, a private company, to provide notices to vehicle owners, conducting initial reviews of toll evasion violations that are challenged by the owners, and also to impose and collect penalties, alleges Saliani in his class action lawsuit. Further, argues Saliani, Xerox and the Golden Gate Bridge “have implemented a policy for assessing toll evasion violations and imposing and collecting penalties in a manner that assures that vehicle owners cannot meaningfully contest violations and pay inflated and outrageous penalties.”

Saliani alleges that Xerox does not put enough effort into locating drivers toll evasion notices, including obtaining up-to-date and correct mailing addresses and, because drivers often do not receive notice of a toll violation, “Xerox receives a bounty on all toll fees and penalties that it collects.”

In his class action lawsuit, Saliani alleges that “[s]ince the Golden Gate Bridge converted to an all-electronic tolling system in March 2013, penalties assessed on toll evasion violations have become an important source or revenue for defendants,” further “defendants released data showing that for the first four months of operation of the all-electronic tolling system, they issued 290,489 toll evasion violations and collected nearly $3 million in penalties.”

The Golden Gate FasTrak class action lawsuit also alleges that the defendants’ actions in assessing tolls on the Golden Gate Bridge violate the California Due Process Clause and mandatory duty laws and amount to unfair business practices, and negligence. 

Saliani seeks puitive damages as well as an injunction requiring the Golden Gate Bridge and Xerox to refund fees and penalties to drivers, reverse any DMV registration holds, and provide owners with a fair and impartial review of their toll evasion violations.

Lead plaintiff, Michael Saliani, is represented by Adam Gutride with Gutride Safier. 

Case information for the Golden Gate FasTrak Class Action Lawsuit was not available at the time this article was published.

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48 thoughts onGolden Gate Bridge FasTrak Fees Rack Up Class Action Lawsuit

  1. Duke Vang says:

    I paid my toll twice already. The first one was the regualr. Then 2 weeks later, a letter came in stating I never paid. Bank account shows, paid already. I paid the “late one.” 2 weeks later, again, another late one. i don’t know what’s going on. I called and they stated that they never received the payments. I showed them my bank account that shows it’s been paid already. They said they can’t pull up the confirmation number as well. So confusing. Is this going to keep stacking up whether I paid or don’t pay? Anyone having this same issue?

  2. Mmartin says:

    I cannot register my vehicle due to a $6.00 fee turned $75, totaling $7,000 in fastrak fees. Is this legal?

  3. Lipine Faafiu says:

    I have two vehicles that I can’t register because the fees went from $300 for one and $700 for the other, to $3000 and $7000 without notice. I don’t know how to get anything started on this but maybe someone should take everyone’s name with complaints from this site and maybe Google complaints against Bay area FasTrack and hopefully start a class action lawsuit of our own for the bay bridge. Just a suggestion.

    1. mike says:

      Yes I totally agree! this is out rages. I don’t recall getting a violation for .75 cent. i happen to get a violation recently and paid it on line and sent other violation from last year for a total of $75. Wow from .75 cent to $75 is insane. Bayarea fast trak is raping us.

    2. Gigi CFox says:

      I havent been able to register my vehicle for two years because the penalties were over $8000. I was a student two years ago.Paid $3000 last year but couldn’t afford the rest.
      My vehicle was impounded 4 days ago. Fastrack wants me to pay $3500 so DMV will release my registration hold so I can retrieve my car. That amount doesn’t even include DMV fees owed. I need my vehicle for work. Ive already been severely financially crippled from covid. I don’t know what to do.

    3. Josh says:

      I would be up for joining a class action lawsuit against fastrak. I have one unpaid 6$ toll which has somehow turned into a 700$ penalty. This is outrageous

  4. karen says:

    i have a toll bill of $700+. I know ive paid most of them on time. i dont understand how this can happen! i tried calling to see if theres a settlement but they wont work with me. i now cant get a renewal tags for my car. this is gettin out of control. can does anyone know what i can do!!!??

  5. Vicky dentkos says:

    My registration was a lot of money cuz it says across the Oakland Bridge so many times and twice a day but I don’t even cross the Oakland Bridge

  6. Dawne Shelton says:

    I’ve been getting charges and tolls since January for my electric vehicle with stickers. I’ve been fighting every one and getting flack, then more charges and fees. I’m furious and looking for a class action. I’ve moved my transponder everytime they’ve asked.

  7. Murray says:

    Did you ever get this resolved? I don’t even know where to start!

  8. V L Rivera says:

    I have a vehicle that has been inoperable for almost 6 years and last year I received a letter stating that i owe money for not paying the toll at the golden gate bridge. I’m so annoyed and upset because I received a DMV notice last month and the fee is on there. I have sent several emails and no response at all. I don’t know what to do I also informed them to send me proof a picture of my vehicle passing through. Nothing till this day!

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