Florida's Turnpike toll violation question

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

(Long back story, see the question in bold red at the end of the post.)

Oh my gosh, I really wish we'd used Disney's Magical Express this trip. This was my first time renting a car at the airport. What a nightmare.

We left directly from Animal Kingdom park, thinking we had a 7:30 flight. We left the park around 4:00, and got out of the parking lot around 4:30. A few minutes later, we got an automated call from Southwest that our flight was delayed. Our new departure time would be 6:30. What!?!

I'd written down the departure time wrong. It was originally 7:30, but Southwest had sent an email a few months ago that the times had changed. I was going by the original confirmation email when I typed up our itinerary.

Already in an exasperated state of mind, we arrived at the Florida's Turnpike toll booth to find it was an unmanned booth that required 50 cents exact change. All we had were $20 bills! I took one of the envelopes to mail the toll, and pulled through, setting off the red light and bell.

We then got delayed in traffic, trying to find a gas station to fill up the car before turning it in. By the time we got to the rental car return line, we were running for the airport, and forgot to write down the license plate number.

After having trouble checking in with Southwest (because we were checking in after the original departure time), and waiting in the longest TSA security check line I've every seen, we ran all the way from the monorail to gate 129 -- the VERY LAST gate. Somehow we made it.

Now that I've had a day to rest up from our less-than-relaxing departure from Florida, I'm trying to figure out how to pay the Turnpike toll.

Has anyone ever dealt with paying a Florida's Turnpike toll via mail for a rental car? The Turnpike's web site says that rental car drivers should follow the rental company's procedures. Alamo's customer service gave me the web address http://htallc.com. However, it only seems to have options for paying fines. I want to pay the 50 cents before the $100 fine is levied. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[skiingfast]

Why don't you ask Alamo for the Plate number of you rental?
Maybe you gave it to your hotel as well?

That is all you need to mail in the toll right?

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Plate numbers are often indicated on the contract as well when you exit the gate booths, that might be a good place to look.

 

[Halle]

Be sure to followup and pay it. We had a similar experience but there weren't any envelpes available we were charged a fine on top of the toll.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Your rental contract will have the vehicle's tag number on it. When you returned your car, if an employee used one of those hand-held devices to scan your car and issue you a receipt, the tag number should be on there too.

Pay with a personal check....even $.50....in case you need to prove later that you sent in the money.

BobK/Orlando

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Thanks all. I got Alamo to email a copy of the receipt, which did have the plate numbers on it.

According to the envelope we took from the toll booth, we have 10 days to pay before anything is mailed. I sent it today, so hopefully it will be processed before anything is sent to Alamo. I also enclosed a SASE for a receipt to prove I paid it.

I don't need to deal with Alamo's bureauracy if a toll payment request or fine is sent to them. That's the web site they originally gave me. It's the method they use to collect fines/tolls that are charged to them by the state. There's a service fee involved, of course.

 

[seashoreCM]

Be sure to followup and pay it. We had a similar experience but there weren't any envelpes available we were charged a fine on top of the toll.

You should be able to investigate (using among other things, Google) to find out the address. Also, was the address posted on a sign in the toll booth?

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

You should be able to investigate (using among other things, Google) to find out the address. Also, was the address posted on a sign in the toll booth?

Yes, I was able to find the Turnpike's official web page, and they did have a page describing how to pay a toll by mail. We also had the envelope we'd picked up from the booth, that had similar instructions.

What was confusing, though, is that they had a paragraph specifically about rental cars. It said to contact the rental car company, and follow their procedures. I called Alamo, and they referred me to a third-party company they use to deal with tolls and fines. The web site for that company only dealt with getting EZ-Pass receipts and paying fines for which you already had a violation notice. This company also charges a service fee. I was hoping to avoid that red tape and additional fees.

When I was finally able to get the license plate number of the car we had, I decided to just mail a check directly to the turnpike authority. Hopefully, they'll receive and process it before anything gets mailed to Alamo, the registered owner of the car.

 

[Tara]

Sounds like a rough way to end your vacation - I hope mailing the check closes the issue. This is exactly why we ordered a SunPass transponder - I've been caught changeless at that very toll booth before!

That said, if I were in your shoes I'd be saying "I wish I'd gotten my itinerary info right" not "I wish I'd taken Magical Express."

Also, if you do rent a car at the airport again, I've had no trouble filling up at the Hess by the Boardwalk area or at DTD. The needle always still reads "full" when we arrive at the airport.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

That said, if I were in your shoes I'd be saying "I wish I'd gotten my itinerary info right" not "I wish I'd taken Magical Express."

True. I've actually been saying both.

If we'd have been on Magical Express, like on our typical trips, my mistake would have been caught when I did the RAC check-in that morning.

It was nice to have the car, but the only reason we got it was because we started the weekend with a run up to Gainesville to see our niece graduate from UF.

 

[StregaNona]

We learned our lesson about FL toll roads a few years ago. We were getting on 417 near WDW to go back to MCO and didn't have the exact change to get on the road. We waited for a car to come along, and the lady was kind enough to give us 50 cents. God bless that lady from Georgia! We now carry a baggie with lots of change and a few one dollar bills.

 

[SurfinTX]

Thanks for reminding me. I'll make sure to put some small bills and change in the car before leaving.