Woman kept delaying her toll payments despite notices. She learnt her lesson the hard way

While traffic violations can cost drivers a bunch, toll payment delays can put a dent in the wallets as well. It's just money that motorists are supposed to pay for better roads, traffic management, and a quicker commute. Usually, drivers get their invoice after a week or two and they are supposed to pay immediately, since payment delays can cost drivers a penalty. In a viral video posted by TikToker Katie (@katie_elise_), she shares how avoiding toll payments has led to an arrest warrant issued against her.

Here’s what happens when you avoid paying toll tax

In the video which now has more than 374,000 views, the TikTok creator says that she learned about the consequences of not paying toll on time, the hard way. She starts the video by saying that she just got to know that “they put out a warrant” when people don’t pay tolls for a long time. She then says she has been avoiding toll payments like the plague while continuing to take the same route to save time. The creator then goes on to add that she has been getting notices from the Department of Transportation that she chose to ignore.

Even lawyers reached out to her but to no avail. Katie then shows her viewers envelopes of the notices that she received. She opens one of the envelopes and reads out that she owes about $51 in total. Given that Katie avoided tolls for so long and the typical penalties imposed on defaulters, she reportedly got away with a tap on the wrist. Even Katie said, “OK, I really thought it was gonna be, like, at least $100. Only $50,” expressing relief after opening the envelope which seemed to be the latest.

In the comments, several viewers were fairly shocked to see Katie’s total fee. One user (@samyamiller) said that she owed $500 in toll payments, probably including the late fee. To this Katie asked her to drop her ‘Venmo’ so that people who feel the tolls cheap can donate. Katie’s reply shows many people were surprised to learn that she avoided paying tolls for so long.

Meanwhile, there were many other violators in the comments section who didn’t believe Katie’s story. However, one user (@ashton_kibodeaux) who was in a similar situation as Katie explained how people can get an arrest warrant. The user said that when people avoid paying tolls for too long, the authorities put out a court order. If the defaulter doesn’t show up in court, then they issue the arrest warrant.

The user’s comments seem to be true, however, different states have different policies. For instance, in California defaulters are charged a $61 fee and an additional $42.50 penalty with a suspension of their car registration. On the other hand in Texas, failure to pay can result in penalties of up to $500 and can result in a misdemeanor. This can lead to court summons and being a no-show in court could result in an arrest warrant.

For more such lifestyle and entertainment content, follow Katie (@katie_elise_) on TikTok.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on May 1, 2024. It has since been updated.