Bad government

[Guest Johnny Bass]

OK. First it was the vehicle tax, that we have to pay now. I think $60 a year. Then it was the H.S.T., now I went to buy a new TV and there is a $26 Recycling fee you have to pay that you get back when your TV is returned.

 

Now I think this was the final straw. A friend of mine that hasn't driven for 10 years decides to get their license again. Only to find out that there is a charge on the 407 of $700.

 

She has never been on the 407 but she has lent out her vehicle in the past. The problem is that the plate was registered under another address, even though she updated her license, with the new address in 1998. So this 407 charge of $35 has now ballooned to $700 at 30% interest because the bill was being delivered to the wrong address. She was never made aware. This is either incompetence on the part of the Ministry of Transportation or the 407.

 

Apparently when the sale was made, the new owners were supposed to collect, but as of 2005, OUr government is now required to foot the bill to collect for the 407. What a sale hey! We sell them a highway and are still stuck paying for it! Us tax paying Canadians are getting ripped off once again. If the new owners cannot afford to stay in business, they should just sell it back to who the 407 really belongs to. The tax payer!

 

Why should the gov be responsible for collecting for these crooks that are not only charging 30% interest, but doing it at the expense of the tax payer?

 

Going to contact the ministry of Transportation!

 

We have one of the most productive resource based economies in the world and yet somehow after all the lies we were tricked to believe that we have to be heavily taxed to compete in the global market and sustain our economy when all we really need is buyers of our resources and there is no shortage of customers there.

 

End of rant!

Edited August 21, 2010 by Johnny Bass

[Big Cliff]

I refuse to use the 407, they are the most arrogant I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with. Good luck but you might as well tell your friend to just suck it up and pay because 407 don't care if it is their fault or not and our wonderful government gives them the right to do it!

[12 Volt Man]

I actually really like the 407. it saves a lot of time depending on your route and it is such an easy drive compared to the constantly plugged up QEW.

 

one tip that helps is to get your 407 bill billed directly to your credit card.

 

so when you pay your credit card at the end of the month, you pay the 407 bill too.

 

makes it very simple.

 

having said that, I think your friend should try and fight it. tell them what happened and see if the charges can be waived.

[tb4me]

Had the same thing happen to me. I used the 407 in 98 when it first came out. I never bothered to change my address on my licence so in 2008 when I had to renew my plate stickers they wouldnt let me untill I cleared up my 407 bill. You could imagine the sinking feeling I had when they told me it was $680.00. Here I thought all this time I had goten away with not paying for the one trip. LOL was I ever wrong. 10 years of interest on a $30.00 bill. Never again after that. There should be a way to get that interest back. I guess if somone owed me $$ id want interest too though. Its d ouble edged sword this time. She will have ot pay it trust me I tried. I was sooo mad I even considered giving up my licence. That would never work thou.

[cram]

407 had a well documented problem a few years ago around accidentally improper billing and now have a grievance # to settle disputes. Suspect the gov't made (or at least asked) them do this. Your friend may watn to find that # and plead her case.....

[Guest gbfisher]

The 407 owes me $20 from 6 years back. You can bet I never hear from them or did they ever send me a cheque for the amount owing....lol

 

Not having 407 mail is fine by me.

[Raf]

charge em 30 percent interest GB

[Terry]

I had the same thing happen to me, never drove on their stinking highway , but got a bill. couldn't get my license till it was paid

 

happened again about 6 months ago...

if you want to fight it with them on the phone you have to set up an account to even talk to them...if you have never used their toll road and never will, why would you want to set up an account to tell them they made a mistake...well I found an email address and sent about 40 emails

first ones told them they made a mistake and the middle ones told them I could prove me and my truck was somewhere else that day...(even though I didn't know what day it was...you have to set up that account I was talking about to find out the details)

the final 10 emails used language that the bad word filters here would never let through...and they quit sending me bills......

[Dave Bailey]

I've heard of some people getting cheap revenge by sending in a payment that is a few cents over the amount owing. This then goes into the 407 computer as a credit, and they keep sending you a bill every month showing it. It costs postage to tell you that you are credited with a few cents, and you get a chuckle at their expense.

[Guest Johnny Bass]

I actually really like the 407. it saves a lot of time depending on your route and it is such an easy drive compared to the constantly plugged up QEW.

 

I have no problem with the 407. I have a problem with our government selling it and then having to pay to collect their bills, so in other words, eventually the gov gave it away for free. They should have never sold it and we should not be using tax payers dollars to collect for them.

[Guest Johnny Bass]

407 had a well documented problem a few years ago around accidentally improper billing and now have a grievance # to settle disputes. Suspect the gov't made (or at least asked) them do this. Your friend may watn to find that # and plead her case.....

 

I tried that number and managed to get $200 deducted. But that still is not enough in my opinion. These crooks are still stealing $450+ dollars in interest that should not have been added! This is legalized robbery.

 

Went as high as the 407 umbudsman and they basically said there is nothing they could do. In other words they are good for nothing.

 

Now I am contacting the ministry of transportation! Since it may also be their error for not updating the plates when the license was updated. Not only that but by law they(407)

are supposed to contact the person when the final bill and plate denial is sent. They used outdated information. Also considering the plate was retired in 2000, you'd think they would put 2 and 2 together.

[ontariofisherman]

I had the same problem, 2 yrs later I get a bill. So I call them and start fighting with them and the lady told me I would lose my license. I asked her to provide me with the proof that I was on there, she told me they take pics of the plates and would send me the copy of the pics. 2 weeks later she calls me and say not to worry about it, they could not find the pics anymore. The worst part was after i started to think about it more, I remembered that I had used the highway.

[tb4me]

So let me get this right. The goverment of ontario built the road? Then sold it to a private company? Yet our tax dollars go towards collecting the profit for them? Not to mention the tax dollars paying for policing a privately owned highway. Unreal. Im in the wrong dman business.Geez

[Dave Bailey]

So let me get this right. The goverment of ontario built the road? Then sold it to a private company? Yet our tax dollars go towards collecting the profit for them? Not to mention the tax dollars paying for policing a privately owned highway. Unreal. Im in the wrong dman business.Geez

I could make a comment about the politicians in power at the time, possible Swiss bank accounts and/or vacation villas, etc. But then the lawyers would descend, and I admit my suspicions are based on sheer cynicism.

[Guest Johnny Bass]

So let me get this right. The goverment of ontario built the road? Then sold it to a private company? Yet our tax dollars go towards collecting the profit for them? Not to mention the tax dollars paying for policing a privately owned highway. Unreal. Im in the wrong dman business.Geez

 

That is correct. What a deal hey? When is the next highway being built and where can I bid!

 

Its bad enough our electricity bills just went up. Now they announced they are making power out of human waste! Great!No more polluting our water!! Progress? Some how it always equates to us paying more money.

 

There probably going to put an environmental tax on every time we flush the toilet. Just like although our garbage is now all recycled into fuel or reused, we are paying more then we ever have for garbage removal!

[Spiel]

 

That is correct. What a deal hey? When is the next highway being built and where can I bid!

 

Its bad enough our electricity bills just went up. Now they announced they are making power out of human waste! Great!No more polluting our water!! Progress? Some how it always equates to us paying more money.

 

There probably going to put an environmental tax on every time we flush the toilet. Just like although our garbage is now all recycled into fuel or reused, we are paying more then we ever have for garbage removal!

 

 

Johnny, head down the 407 to Hamilton and I'll share my beer and percs with ya, free!

It won't solve anything but you won't care.

 

 

[Guest gbfisher]

Johnny, head down the 407 to Hamilton and I'll share my beer and percs with ya, free!

It won't solve anything but you won't care.

 

 

watch it...Them percs at your age will stop you from regular morning visits to the porcelain throne. what ever makes ya feel good I guess...

 

Oh ya...that's right...You won't care much anyway.

[Spiel]

watch it...Them percs at your age will stop you from regular morning visits to the porcelain throne. what ever makes ya feel good I guess...

 

Oh ya...that's right...You won't care much anyway.

 

LOL.....That's what the beers for.

 

 

 

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Johnny, head down the 407 to Hamilton and I'll share my beer and percs with ya, free!

It won't solve anything but you won't care.

 

Hey it works in America. They don't call them the prozac nation for nothing.lol

 

I'm in a cast right now so as soon as I run out of my oxycocet, I'll take you up on that offer!

[Guest Johnny Bass]

watch it...Them percs at your age will stop you from regular morning visits to the porcelain throne. what ever makes ya feel good I guess...

 

Oh ya...that's right...You won't care much anyway.

 

Maybe we have just found a way to save on the flushing tax ahead.

[OhioFisherman]

" Hey it works in America. They don't call them the prozac nation for nothing.lol " LMAO Johnny ! They do? Probably because because some here worry about some of our leaders are selling Turnpikes ( toll roads ), prisons, they want to privatize Social Security, don`t allow competitive bidding on drugs supplied to patients and paid for under medicare and medicaid.

 

We seem to have trouble dealing with disasters, Katrina, oil spills. LOL the military and industrial complex may pick our wars? because we have made friends with the communists and it would be foolish to attack some country you are deeply in debt to?

 

When our crooks get voted out of office or face term limits? They then switch sides and the favors are returned! They go to work for the companies they supported!

 

Things have changed, a good war now has to last 8 or 10 years so the companies can maximize their profits!

 

LMAO, Prozac please, make it a double!

[smally21]

not standing up for the 407 lets be clear! bunch of crooks however....

 

the 407 pays huge fees to the opp to patrol the highway, taxpayers make money on it.

more huge fees paid to the mot for collection/extortion, taxpayers dont pay for it.

 

my experience with the change of address - just because you changed your plate with the mot doesn't mean you have changed your plate with the 407, they are seperate entities. the 407 said that i had to change my address with them as they only check the plate once and after that it is your problem to update your account info. kind of reasonable but the obvious question to ask them is why do they charge the "plate fee" each time you use the highway. if they are not checking the plate against the mot records, why are you charged for this service?

 

so making this argument that they had charged me to 'run' the plate - which would have provided my new address - but had not actually done it, all interest charges and fees were dropped, just had to pay the bill for use.

 

again - not standing up for the asshats at the 407. good luck to you in your battle with a faceless soulless corporation that has us by the short hairs for about 90 more years.

 

ps might want to see how much of the highway belongs to the teachers pension fund....

[Guest Johnny Bass]

" Hey it works in America. They don't call them the prozac nation for nothing.lol " LMAO Johnny ! They do? Probably because because some here worry about some of our leaders are selling Turnpikes ( toll roads ), prisons, they want to privatize Social Security, don`t allow competitive bidding on drugs supplied to patients and paid for under medicare and medicaid.

 

We seem to have trouble dealing with disasters, Katrina, oil spills. LOL the military and industrial complex may pick our wars? because we have made friends with the communists and it would be foolish to attack some country you are deeply in debt to?

 

When our crooks get voted out of office or face term limits? They then switch sides and the favors are returned! They go to work for the companies they supported!

 

Things have changed, a good war now has to last 8 or 10 years so the companies can maximize their profits!

 

LMAO, Prozac please, make it a double!

 

Dont get me started on all that!

 

What burns me is all the mind altering drugs they are giving the kids with all the new diagnosis like ADD. Increase sugar intake, violent TV and video games and presto. You get hyper kids. But thats another topic!

 

Its like that movie Aeon flux I think its called. Where they want to drug the entire society into mindless zombies. That movie was a warning to those who were listening.

 

Pharmaceutical stocks are going threw the roof.....

[smally21]

some further 407 info from the bill of sale. notice the part about rate increases and clawbacks for slowmoving traffic (cause its great to pay for stopped highways).

 

Safety The province will ensure the continued safety in the

operation, construction and maintenance of Highway 407.

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) will continue to

provide traffic patrol and traffic law enforcement on

Highway 407, and the Ministry of Transportation (MTO)

will enforce compliance with provincial safety

standards, as it does on all other provincial highways.

The new owner will pay for OPP and MTO enforcement

services on a cost-recovery basis.

 

Tolls The agreement includes an innovative toll-rate

mechanism aimed at relieving traffic congestion on

existing major routes. The province will have the

ability to claw back toll revenues if pre-set traffic

levels on Highway 407 are not met. Tolls can be

adjusted by two per cent per year plus inflation for

the first 15 years, and thereafter, by inflation only.

This would mean that tolls could increase by about

three cents per kilometre over the first 15 years.

 

Financial penalties will be imposed on the consortium

if both the tolls are increased in excess of the

specified limits and specified traffic levels are not

met.

[OhioFisherman]

More like the movie running man? stay home watch tv don`t complain, big brother will tell you what is good? based on the deals the politicians running big brother make.