M50 Toll Dodger brought to court

Sizzler

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/city-news/i-received-a-bill-for-euro17000-just-for-using-the-m50-2371078.html

A student from Drogheda has ran up a massive bill of €17,000 on M50 toll charges.

Sharon Dunne (28) has criticised eFlow for inflicting colossal fines on customers in a recession.

The mature student from The Twenties, Drogheda, was brought to Dublin District Court by eFlow on behalf of the National Roads Authority on September 21.

She was accused of paying for only 43 journeys out of 241 between June 20, 2009 and September 29 this year, but the former mortgage broker has claimed that she owed eFlow for only 95 journeys.

She told the Herald: "I decided I would contest it. I thought the fines were ridiculous, and I thought, I'll go and make my point in court.

"I was actually knocked off my seat when they told me the amount I owed. I explained to the judge that I tried to sort it out last September, and I cleared all of the fines to the end of September."

The case was settled and Ms Dunne agreed to pay €3,000, but she is adamant that the fines she was charged by eFlow were exorbitant.

The bill is the highest amount known to be owed for tolls by a single motorist since the M50 became barrier-free in August 2008.

STRESSFUL

She stressed: "I called them last December when the bill was €1,300 and I made arrangements to pay it off, and in January I paid off €90 because that's what I could pay off. I've no grant any more, and I can't afford €100 a month.

"I tried to keep on top of it, but by March the letters were flying in through the door and I had gotten a summons."

eFlow wrote to her on 341 separate occasions with bills and summonses, which the student said made her life very "stressful". Ms Dunne regularly uses the M50 to commute from Drogheda to Dun Laogahire Institute of Art, Design and Technology where she studies costume design.

She said: "It's ridiculous. My car is a Citroen Saxo and it isn't even worth a grand at the moment, and in no way is it causing €17,000 worth of damage to the motorway.

"I was just standing up for my rights. I agreed to pay €3,000 but I couldn't agree to the structure of paying €100 a month, so now I'm paying €50 a month."

The cost for unregistered drivers of using the M50 is €3, and this rises to €6 if the toll is not paid by 8pm the next day. The maximum fine for one journey is €143.50, after over three months.

Ms Dunne: "I think it's a joke, and there's some very wealthy tycoon sitting in the Bahamas or somewhere, sipping cocktails, laughing at us mugs."

ardmacha

If at any early stage she had simply registered her number, they would probably have let her off the fines, and just charged €2-50 or €2 per trip.

Gophur

Stupid bints like that deserve no sympathy.

maximoose

the cost of the tolls are a bit ridiculous, but that doesnt mean drive through them as much as you like and just dont pay. what an idiot.

lau1247

should have paid it or not use it at all..
No one forces her to use it..
Just go through city centre..

I agree Gophur, she deserve no sympathy

Jimkil

Dope. I would have jailed her. Its not like she didn't know that there is a cost to using the m50. Actualy jail is to good for her. Make her pull the weeds from the hard shoulder with no hi-vis vest on at night.

Atomic Pineapple

I hate the way stupid people blame everyone else when they get themselves into trouble!

As said if she couldn't afford to pay the tolls she has the option of a non tolled route.

It's ridiculous. My car is a Citroen Saxo and it isn't even worth a grand at the moment, and in no way is it causing €17,000 worth of damage to the motorway

Sum's up her stupidity :rolleyes:

Mr Simpson

What F****ing Cheek. Ok, the fines are high, but the hint is if you pay the toll you wont get fined!! :mad:

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Jimmy Bottlehead

I hate the tolls as much as anyone, but they're there and ignoring them ain't gonna make them disappear. She deserves what she got.

jimmycrackcorm

Ms Dunne: "I think it's a joke, and there's some very wealthy tycoon sitting in the Bahamas or somewhere, sipping cocktails, laughing at us mugs."

Who is this mysterious wealthy tycoon in the Bahamas? Is he laughing because he didn't pay his tolls?

jay-me

Kind of reminds me of the toll bridge near the O2.. Wasn't that supposed to be only used untill the bridge had been paid for??? Then it was sold to a private company?? Someone else is making a killing off this, most likely the government to pay there 2.3 million in expenses for 2 months:eek: if everyone followed suit with this girl they would have to scrap their toll or spend billions on court cases.:mad:

I know we need to take the brunt of our problems but we are being taken for a ride all the same and there is a new toll system popping up every few miles!

bazzachazza

I'm disappointed that she only HAS to pay €3000 at €50 a month. Let's see that's 60 months or 5 year's. I wonder how long it will be before she decides she doesn't have to pay it off.

In a small way that's a victory for her as she has been able to knock €14000 off her fines by simply going to court.

She is one thick person though

"I was just standing up for my rights."

. Eh what !

flanzer

This is the type of idiot student we can look forward to running our 'smart' economy

the_syco

How about NOT USING THE FCUKING M50 YOU LAZY BINT!

Seriously. If you use it, pay the price, or just go along the free roads...

keithclancy

Kinda sickening though that all the Foreign plate drivers (except perhaps GB/NI plates) can drive Toll free.

Wonder what that amounts to as a yearly figure

KamiKazi

flanzer wrote: »

This is the type of idiot student we can look forward to running our 'smart' economy

Costume design students?

Seth Brundle

Gophur wrote: »

Stupid bints like that deserve no sympathy.

Stupid Bint?

maximoose wrote: »

the cost of the tolls are a bit ridiculous, but that doesnt mean drive through them as much as you like and just dont pay. what an idiot.

She was disputing the number of times she is alleged to have travelled. Given the numerous feck-ups that occurred in the early days of the system (and may well still be present), is it definitely not possible for her to be telling the truth and that she was unsure of which ones she was being billed for and which ones she actually did?
I'm not defending her, but don't assume that everything is black and white! FFS even the title of the Herald story is damning her before you even get to read it.

Captain Morgan wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

She got the fine dropped from 17k to 3k - I think she did quite well!

jay-me wrote: »

Kind of reminds me of the toll bridge near the O2.. Wasn't that supposed to be only used untill the bridge had been paid for??? Then it was sold to a private company?? Someone else is making a killing off this, most likely the government to pay there 2.3 million in expenses for 2 months:eek: if everyone followed suit with this girl they would have to scrap their toll or spend billions on court cases.:mad:

I know we need to take the brunt of our problems but we are being taken for a ride all the same and there is a new toll system popping up every few miles!

The East link, like the M50 bridge, is now owned by the state and the tolling process is contracted out! ALl profits go to the state.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East-Link_(Dublin)

seamus

Ironic that a former mortgage broker would be one to complain about exorbitant fees and insane financial practices.

neilthefunkeone

What a silly cnut.... "Oh i cant afford the toll.." Then stay in Drogheda ya bint..

Actually friend of mine ramped up a few hundred in toll penalty's.. He just signed up for a video reg account and they wrote off the penalty's.. seemed nice of them!!

jimmynokia

they actually got the right person these toll guys
how many people out there are getting billed and dont even have a car lol
your one is still a silly individual eitherway


BEWARE OF NEW SPEED TRAP ON M50

on the m50 heading southbound there is new calibration lines on the ground between the finglas and blanch exits
they are at the last bar that sticks out over the motorway:mad::mad::mad::mad:

R.O.R

keithclancy wrote: »

Kinda sickening though that all the Foreign plate drivers (except perhaps GB/NI plates) can drive Toll free.

Wonder what that amounts to as a yearly figure

I know one manufacturer who had a German registered Electric Vehicle on demo, that went through the toll. Fine for it landed in Head Office in German before making it's way through to Ireland.

They paid it, so nothing further would end up in Germany, but if it went unpaid I don't think it would ever be chased.

Max Power1

kbannon wrote: »

Stupid Bint?

Why the

She used a service obviously expecting not to pay it, then disputes it in court trying to look "victimised" and standing up for "her right".

If you cant pay the toll dont use the road, simple as.

Also some of the statements she came out with in her defence were utter tripe, especially the "€1000 car causing €17000 damage" one.

Seth Brundle

Max Power1 wrote: »

Why the

She used a service obviously expecting not to pay it, then disputes it in court trying to look "victimised" and standing up for "her right".

If you cant pay the toll dont use the road, simple as.

Also some of the statements she came out with in her defence were utter tripe, especially the "€1000 car causing €17000 damage" one.

But I disagree that she was a stupid bind for two reasons:
firstly, she claims to have received several toll payment request letters - one and a half times more than the number of trips she made - if this was you what would you do?
Secondly, she was then told she owed 17 grand. Instead of paying it, she went to court and now has to pay 3 grand. That doesn't sound so stupid to me! it would have been more stupid to pay without questioning the extortionate (and IMO illegal) fines levied by the NRA!

Absurdum

fair play to her

Armin_Tamzarian

R.O.R wrote: »

I know one manufacturer who had a German registered Electric Vehicle on demo, that went through the toll. Fine for it landed in Head Office in German before making it's way through to Ireland.

They paid it, so nothing further would end up in Germany, but if it went unpaid I don't think it would ever be chased.

Strange considering I know of numerous Northern drivers who use it several times a week without paying and none of them have ever been contacted.

Guy:Incognito

kbannon wrote: »

But I disagree that she was a stupid bind for two reasons:
firstly, she claims to have received several toll payment request letters - one and a half times more than the number of trips she made - if this was you what would you do?!

Well after agreeing last December to start paying off money she owed (which she also atually couldnt pay in the end) she continued using the toll bridge. That sounds prety stupid to me.

If you owe a compnay money that you cant pay, continuing to use their facilities and runnign up more debts isnt very clever.

Ghost Train

silly thing to do but plenty people don't like the toll set up

the way the fines increase is pretty silly, especially when they dont always send out warnings

VolvoMan

I'm surprised with most of the responses to this thread so far to be honest. It appears that people on here love to jump on the bandwagon of self-righteousness.

That bridge in Lucan has been paid for a good ten or twelve times over now and, if I recall correctly, the toll agreement was originally only supposed to last for a decade or so, which after, the barriers would be removed. It's basically a license granted by the government to print money off the general public in recessionary times and I personally feel it's a disgrace. The people behind it have made their money now and it is about time the public should be allowed to drive over the bridge for free.

jimmynokia

i agree and they say they are broke
look at the new m3
one staff each side and how many lanes eh hello:mad:

Jimmy Bottlehead

VolvoMan wrote: »

I'm surprised with most of the responses to this thread so far to be honest. It appears that people on here love to jump on the bandwagon of self-righteousness.

That bridge in Lucan has been paid for a good ten or twelve times over now and, if I recall correctly, the toll agreement was originally only supposed to last for a decade or so, which after the barriers would be removed. It's basically a license granted by the government to print money off the general public in recessionary times and I personally feel it's a disgrace. The people behind it have made their money now and it is about time people should be allowed to drive over the bridge for free.

But one person not paying the fine won't make a blind bit of difference... 10,000 people protesting it might make a difference.

wetling

well 280 by 3 is less then €1000 so where are they getting this €17,000 from? wouldnt you be pissed off if you paid your esb late and suddenly it jumped to that high.

She is right, The NRA fines are extortion, why people praise this legalized theft, it really boggles me .

slimjimmc

wetling wrote: »

well 280 by 3 is less then €1000 so where are they getting this €17,000 from? wouldnt you be pissed off if you paid your esb late and suddenly it jumped to that high.

She is right, The NRA fines are extortion, why people praise this legalized theft, it really boggles me .

From the OP

The cost for unregistered drivers of using the M50 is €3, and this rises to €6 if the toll is not paid by 8pm the next day. The maximum fine for one journey is €143.50, after over three months.

Not all her trips were paid within the previous 8hrs, she probably had quite a few upaid fines outstanding for 3mths or more.

Our man in Havana

All this is a typical NRA propaganda piece from their minister for information, Independant Newspapers.

dr.fuzzenstein

maximoose wrote: »

the cost of the tolls are a bit ridiculous, but that doesnt mean drive through them as much as you like and just dont pay. what an idiot.

Agreed, everyone knows all you need is a foreign reg and you can be on your merry way.
Don't believe the propaganda "we'll come and get you", no they won't and that's a fact.

wetling

slimjimmc wrote: »

From the OP



Not all her trips were paid within the previous 8hrs, she probably had quite a few upaid fines outstanding for 3mths or more.

It was rhetorical, do you not see something grossly wrong with their payment system?

Guy:Incognito

wetling wrote: »

well 280 by 3 is less then €1000 so where are they getting this €17,000 from? wouldnt you be pissed off if you paid your esb late and suddenly it jumped to that high.

She is right, The NRA fines are extortion, why people praise this legalized theft, it really boggles me .

It's all layed out up front, so no one can claim they didnt know. She was fully aware she had to pay tolls, but didnt bother her arse.

Whether the fine is €5 or €5k is irrelevant. She should have paid for the service she knowingly used.

username123

I think the increasing fine system is a disgrace. The idea was the toll bridge would be there for a temporary period of time. The government claimed for years that the toll stations werent causing a bottle neck, then they took them away and hey presto, no more bottle neck. It was obvious to a blind man that thats where the problem was.

Why is the bridge still being tolled?? The tolls have paid for its construction many times over. Its your road tax thats supposed to pay for the upkeep of roads. Oh wait - money, our government - just resting in the account Ted.

Rant over -I still think the woman in question was stupid to allow the ever increasing fines to go to 17k.

wetling

Stekelly wrote: »

It's all layed out up front, so no one can claim they didnt know. She was fully aware she had to pay tolls, but didnt bother her arse.

Whether the fine is €5 or €5k is irrelevant. She should have paid for the service she knowingly used.

Idiotic thinking, and she already did, she paid her road tax. Open your eyes

Guy:Incognito

username123 wrote: »

The government claimed for years that the toll stations werent causing a bottle neck, then they took them away and hey presto, no more bottle neck. It was obvious to a blind man that thats where the problem was.
.

Of course the junctions all being made free flow had nothign to do with it?

Guy:Incognito

wetling wrote: »

Idiotic thinking, and she already did, she paid her road tax. Open your eyes

Theres no such thing as road tax.

Theres no where that it says motor tax is ringfenced for anything.

Maybe if you open your own eyes youd be able to read the relevant pages online that explain these things.

Either way, how do you know she has valid motor tax?

Leonard Hofstadter

I hate people like this who think that they are above the rules and then complain about the fact that action is taken against them for being caught breaking said rules.

Delighted she has to pay, what does she think the rest of us fools are doing paying our taxes legally?

wetling

Stekelly wrote: »

Theres no such thing as road tax.

Theres no where that it says motor tax is ringfenced for anything.

Maybe if you open your own eyes youd be able to read the relevant pages online that explain these things.

Either way, how do you know she has valid motor tax?

So anything written in print you agree with as a law? I get satisfaction in the knowledge you have most likely been robbed your entire life.

She probably does have ROAD tax because if she didn't she would be up for those charges aswell which would have been mentioned, its how the courts work to more efficiently steal money.

Absurdum

Everyone should read this thread before weeping for the poor toll collectors.

Our man in Havana

All the eflow apologists are in tonight it would seem.

Rented Mule

I've no grant any more, and I can't afford €100 a month.

Then stay the hell off of the M-50.

How hard is it to figure that out ?

Guy:Incognito

wetling wrote: »

She probably does have ROAD tax because if she didn't she would be up for those charges aswell which would have been mentioned, its how the courts work to more efficiently steal money.

Just because you put road in capitals doesnt mean we all of a sudden have something called that. Who is she paying this road tax to? Have you any links to people being done for not having this non existant tax?

But if you can find somthing on here called road tax then best of luck to you https://www.motortax.ie/OMT/welcome.do;jsessionid=0aa0114830d70e38be335ae04befac1dec9ce50e1e9b.e38PaNaSbhuOay0Lch8Le0

wetling

Stekelly wrote: »

Just because you put road in capitals doesn't mean we all of a sudden have something called that. Who is she paying this road tax to? Have you any links to people being done for not having this non existant tax?

well done, I put it in capitals to upset you, glad it worked. God its like debating with some fundamental christian, right down to quotation of the 'scripture'. No arguments about the content, just that's its there and needs to be obeyed

Guy:Incognito

wetling wrote: »

well done, I put it in capitals to upset you, glad it worked. God its like debating with some fundamental christian, right down to quotation of the 'scripture'. No arguments about the content, just that's its there and needs to be obeyed

What are you babbling on about ? You waffled some rubbish about her paying road tax so she shouldnt be paying a toll. I pointed out theres no such thing as road tax or a tax ringfenced for roads.

what that has to do with the crazy ranting your posting I havnt a clue. But sure whatever floats your boat. Just be sure to pay your sea tax, I hear the Gards have checkpoints off the coast for that.

wetling

Stekelly wrote: »

What are you babbling on about ? You waffled some rubbish about her paying road tax so she shouldnt be paying a toll. I pointed out theres no such thing as road tax or a tax ringfenced for roads.

what that has to do with the crazy ranting your posting I havnt a clue. But sure whatever floats your boat. Just be sure to pay your sea tax, I hear the Gards have checkpoints off the coast for that.

Are you autistic or something? I understand how the system works, I'm disagreeing with it. you of course with no actual argument chose to focus on the fact I called motor tax, road tax.

M50 toll is a scam, the extortionate fines are a even bigger scam, the fact that motor tax is spent on anything but roads and motor related matters is a scam.

The fact that all this is supported by law and displayed online for people with OPEN EYES to read makes it no less of a scam.

Tepo

What a dope !!!!!!