'Human error' leads to threat of license suspension for E-ZPass violations

Oct. 6—The message was alarming: Either pay your overdue E-ZPass toll violation, or your vehicle registration will be suspended.

A Manchester woman who received the letter, printed on official-looking DOT letterhead stationery, thought it might be some kind of scam.

It wasn't. But it was a mistake.

DOT officials said about a dozen letters, warning of severe consequences if fines are not paid, have gone out in recent months to folks who shouldn't have received them.

"It was just a mistake," said John Corcoran, administrator of the DOT's Bureau of Turnpikes.

Corcoran explained the letters are usually sent to people with numerous E-ZPass violations, who have ignored past invoices and owe large fines. "It's usually many violations and more than $500 in tolls and fees," he said.

If not paid by Oct. 1, the letter said, the vehicle owner's registration will be suspended, in addition to their E-ZPass account. That's what state law provides (RSA 263:56-f), and if you're caught driving with a suspended license, you are subject to arrest.

Trouble is, DOT officials said, about a dozen people who got the letters recently only owed a small amount — in the Manchester woman's case, just a dollar.

"The intent wasn't to send these letters out to the low-level violator," Corcoran said. "It's just a human error."

However, DOT officials did point out that anyone who got such a letter would already have been sent two invoices and a violation notice, and ignored them all.

Some violators may not have an E-ZPass account, but at some point went through a toll plaza and had their license plate photographed. Or they could have gone through a toll plaza overnight, when the booths are not manned, DOT officials said.

Drivers who do so will see an electronic message telling them to pay online within 7 days, Corcoran said.

To clear the overdue toll, DOT waives the administrative fees in some cases and allows drivers to just pay the $1 toll that's due.

But there's an easy way to avoid this problem altogether, officials said.

"We would encourage them to pay the toll, get an E-ZPass account and a transponder, and save 30% on New Hampshire tolls," said DOT spokesman Richard Arcand.