Woman turns to ABC13 after getting hit with tolls that weren't hers
CYPRESS, Texas (KTRK) -- After months of frustration and bills, a Cypress woman had enough, turning to ABC13 investigative reporter Ted Oberg.
Melissa Kelly was being charged for tolls on a Dallas road even while her pickup was parked inside her garage for months.
It's been happening for years, Kelly said, and it all adds up to hundreds of dollars of tolls mistakenly charged to her account.
The last time her truck has been driven? More than three months ago.
Yet the bills kept coming.
It apparently comes down to personalized license plates. While your plate may be unique to Texas, other plates exist in other states.
SEE ALSO: Vanity plates rejected by Texas
Kelly has had the personalized plate for decades, she said. The North Texas Tollway Authority told Kelly someone else in north Texas has the same two-letter plate, but it's not on a Chevy truck and it's not a Texas plate. It's on a Mercedes from New Mexico.
Each week, Kelly downloads her bill and has kept lists of everyone she can think of.
Who's been able to help?
"Nobody," Kelly said.
So she called us.
ABC13 called the NTTA in Dallas. They apologized profusely and promised a human being would put eyes on every one of Kelly's future tolls to make sure the owner of the New Mexico Mercedes would get charged for the tolls and not a north Houston Chevy Silverado.
We told her that. She rolled her eyes.
"I was told that before," Kelly said.
She's not overly optimistic, but since we called, she hasn't been charged.
She'll keep watching her bills. We will too.
Do you have a story tip, idea or question for Ted Oberg Investigates? Let us know, at abc13.com/tedstips
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