TCTI: Too Crazy Too Ignore
 Dave Ross
520 tolls
KIRO Radio's Luke Burbank learned the hard way he's on the hook for 520 tolls racked up by his former car because two state agencies don't seem to be communicating. (MyNorthwest.com file)

You could still be on the hook for 520 toll bills for a car you've sold

BY Josh Kerns  on February 26, 2013 @ 11:37 am (Updated: 12:06 pm - 2/26/13 )

KIRO Radio's Luke Burbank is in trouble with the state for unpaid tolls on 520. But unlike many of his other unpaid bills, for once it's not his fault (well, not entirely.)

Luke got a letter in the mail this week saying he owed $71 in unpaid tolls. But when he took a look at the picture of his license plate attached to the bill, he noticed it was actually from his old car he'd traded in months ago at a local dealership. And the charges happened after he got rid of it.

"I called up WSDOT yesterday and talked to somebody there and they said, 'It's not just this $71 that you owe there's another charge that's about to go to collections,'" Luke told co-host Dave Ross.

Luke quickly contacted the dealership, who told him it's a regular problem - so much so they have a dedicated person who meets with WSDOT weekly to resolve license issues.

"It was out of control, for months it was a battle," said a representative of the dealership in an email to Luke. "Since then, [we] have worked out a process with WSDOT," she said.

The problem seems to be a disconnect between DOL and WSDOT. Lucky for Luke, the dealership has stepped in to resolve it.

"I can't help but imagine that this is some problem at the state level."

But WSDOT spokesperson Patty Michaud said ultimately it's up to a car seller to notify the Department of Licensing when a car is sold, and it's a good idea to confirm that yourself rather than relying on the dealership (despite their good intentions.)

It's a good lesson for everyone. As for Luke, he'll need to dispute the charges and file a formal notice of sale with DOL and WSDOT to get the charges reversed. But Michaud says it shouldn't be a problem, as long he acts quickly before it goes to collections.

Still, Luke isn't totally satisfied. He trusts the dealerships' word that it filed the notice of change of ownership. And beyond that, he thinks the system should be more intuitive.

"They should have known it wasn't me because one of them was 5:30 in the morning on like a Wednesday crossing 520," he joked.

"You're not even conscious then," replied Dave.

Josh Kerns, MyNorthwest.com Reporter
Josh Kerns is co-host of KIRO Radio's Seattle Sounds (Saturday nights 7-8) and a digital content producer for MyNorthwest.com.
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Comments (19)


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  • mnpat wrote...
    Must be the same car place he advertises for
    February 26, 2013 11:08 am
    And the system is run by the same organization he wants us all to pay taxs for....state government. You all deserve each other.
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Uh, Luke - if the bill is about to go to collections ...........
    February 26, 2013 11:11 am
    the State just MIGHT have sent you notices before this. (well, maybe not - this IS the State of Washington DOT).

    Of course, the dealership is mostly to blame, but you shouldn't have just thrown those notices away as junk mail.

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  • Beaten Down Dead Horse wrote...
    Plate "Reflectivity" Part Of Problem
    February 26, 2013 11:17 am
    A Plate got traced back to me from a vehicle that I owned and had replaced the plate on and then sold same vehicle. 7 years later I get a phone call asking me why I passed a weigh station in Oregon w/o pulling in. The plate twice removed from me had been photographed on a trailer. Simple math: Forced to change plates every 5-7 years makes it exponentially more likely that some paperwork error will be traced back to you Law Abiding tax payer. Meanwhile everyone else drives w/o insurance/liscence etc and nothing happens to them since there's no money for State to go after.
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  • Zoeller wrote...
    Luke this is the same corrupt and inept nanny state -
    February 26, 2013 11:25 am
    That you keep voting for. Only an insane person would keep voting the same way and expect different results. Maybe if you vote for an extra 500 million dollar tax increase and give it to the WSDOT and the DOL all of your worldly problems would disappear.
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  • shark75 wrote...
    At some point the state will just be making withdrawals from your checking account.
    February 26, 2013 11:39 am
    Get these people out of office as soon as possible and preferably in jail. If they are not in jail then they and their families should be harassed at home, etc. Give them a little of their own medicine. We're coming for you, you greedy b.astards...
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  • R L M 456 wrote...
    Same problem here only for $3.50
    February 26, 2013 11:51 am
    I have correspondence from Wa State Good to GO AND Dept of Licenceing.

    I have over 6 mails from at least 4 different people over a $3.50 toll skip on a truck I reported 8 months ago.

    I have to get proof and send it myself

    must have cost the State Hundreads of dollars to get out of my name

    and it is still uncollected

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  • Renton Dad wrote...
    This happens in reverse when the state replaces your license plates too...
    February 26, 2013 11:59 am
    Every 5-10 years the state requires you to replace your license plates (they "lose reflectivity") unless you pay $20 more to keep the same plate, in which case the "reflectivity" is magically restored. Last year I did not opt for the $20 keeper, so had new plates issued. WSDOT had scanner issues on the 520 bridge, could not read my Good2Go sticker which had been working for months prior. The photo of the new plate was traced back to my address, but they do not cross-reference my address to my Good2Go pass at the same address, nor does DOL tell WSDOT when DOL changes a sticker-holder's plate. I was charged numerous By-Mail fees, late fees, and even fees to rescind the fees (you know you get billed 25 cents to call them and reverse the erroneous billing...) After over 2 months and 4-5 calls, I finally got the refunds, the new plate assigned to my sticker. Great to know all that $$ we spent on tolls to pay for the system doesn't include a text file transfer between DOL and WSDOT. It's too bad we don't have ANYONE in this state who understands a SQL update statement...
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  • mnpat wrote...
    Renton Dad,
    February 26, 2013 1:44 pm
    Funny you should bring up the new plates.....when they started doing this I wrote a nice letter to the DOV stating my plates were just fine and that the local police and Highway Patrol office were extremely pleased with the reflectability.....the DOV wasn't fazed and required the fees as you have indicated.....when I received the new plates I took an old plate and the new plate back to the highway Patrol office, placed them at the end of their parking lot, and asked which was the easiest to see.....it was dark....there was two officers....they picked the old plate.....go figure. Thanks SAY WA!
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  • flipper wrote...
    Waaaaaaa
    February 26, 2013 12:03 pm
    Deal with it. Don't take 520. Since they've added the Toll, I've avoided it. If/when they add a toll to 90, I'll have no reason to go to Seattle ever again. notolloni90.org
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    It's as if our Government
    February 26, 2013 12:05 pm
    Goes out of its way to be as greedy & unhelpful as possible. I was transferring vehicle title to one of my kids and spent nearly a week going back n forth with these idiots @ the DOL.? A simple procedure turned into a colossal hassle and waste of time. All due to an error in THEIR SYSTEM.... Everything is our fault and never them. Yeah, you Democrats and your big government. Just wait until Obama
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  • maplefish wrote...
    ...just wait until
    February 26, 2013 12:07 pm
    Obamacare kicks in....
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  • Str8Thinking wrote...
    So what you are saying with
    February 26, 2013 12:53 pm
    "just wait until Obamacare kicks in...." is that if you get a kidney transplant the person that donated will get all your healthcare charges, and since organ donors are usually dead they will be charging a dead person for the next several years? Sounds far fetched but well I guess it is the government.
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  • uralnutjobs wrote...
    luke; not the dealers fault
    February 26, 2013 1:06 pm
    you didnt file the transfer/bill of sale when you made the trade in at the dealer. read the transfer/sale instruction on your title. it is always the sellers responsibilty to do this. if you dont this is just one of the problems you could have down the road.
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