Unpaid Tolls Prove Costly for Virginia Drivers, Lawsuit Alleges

— -- A group of drivers have filed a class-action lawsuit in Virginia to recover thousands of dollars in penalties for unpaid toll fees.

The lawsuit alleges that Transurban, an Australian company operating E-ZPass lanes on two major highways in Virginia, levied thousands of dollars in penalties against some drivers.

Kevin Stanfield’s wife is one of the lawsuit’s plaintiffs. The Maryland man says their car’s E-ZPass was linked to his wife’s lost credit card, which they canceled. But when the couple didn’t notify E-ZPass with the new credit card information and kept using the express lane, despite the transponder not working, the fees accumulated to more than $11,000.

“My reaction was just pure astonishment … unbelievable,” Kevin Stanfield told ABC News.

Transurban says it gave Stanfield the opportunity to reduce administrative fees several times. Stanfield eventually settled for $2,200, but says he is now suing to get that money back.

“Basically, I made an honest mistake and it ended up costing me,” he said. “It’s crazy.”

The company says it now has programs in place capping fees at $2,200. The company wants to warn drivers about unpaid tolls.

Drivers should contact Transurban within the first five days to report missing a toll, and the driver will pay the toll price plus an administrative fee of $1.50, according to the company.