Has anyone who owed the 407 ETR settled their account for less then the amount that is outstanding? If you have please post I'm curious to know what sort of % the 407 accepts as a settlement once it has gone past due - or if they accept settlements period.

Thank you

You know what drives me freaking insane is the stupid look tat the person behind the counter at the MTO or even the 407 give you, when you ask them how a private and large profit company is able to affect your government paper work. I ask them this was aloud to happen? All I get is that stupid look like I don't have aright to ask or fight it. How the hell did this happen I don't remember voting on the sale of a tax payer funded project. My god have we completely given in to the privatization of all government sectors? Things have to change, and they have to soon. We need to stand up and revolt. Its not just the 407 its everything we thought we had in our lives. It has to start now!

I have just had the same experience and have contacted MP, MPP, Minister of Transportation and even Premier, with no luck. This is ridiculous. The original amounts of these so called invoices, from 10 and 8 years ago, are $15.00 and $20.00 and now thay are saying I owe $14000

What are the options here?

I fully understand your situation, I am also about to launch a class action suit against the 407, due to the fact the it is extorting Canadians like myself, and I will not stand for it, recently I went to renew my sticker at the M.T.O. and was told that I owe get this $23185.00, The lady at the M.T.O. said there was nothing she could do about it, and that I had to deal with the 407 directly, so I went over to the office, and said whats going on, they brought up my current plate, said I owe about $380.00, ok fine, so where is the rest coming from?, so the lady pulls up another plate, says do you remember this plate, I say no, she pulls up a picture of a car that I have not had since 2005, and proceeds to tell me that ya the last time it was used was in 2005, so I say, really so what was the amount I owed you in 2005, the lady says just over $5000.00 , so the next question I asked is what is your extortion rate or interest rate as you call it, she tells me 25%, I do some quick math, and it seems to me that even if you charged me 25% a month, witch by the way is illegal, the most any Canadian company by law can collect is 60% a year, not a month, anyway do the math $5000.00 4 years of interest, at more than $250.00 a month is only $12000.00 in interest, the 12000 plus the 5000, is only 18000, so what I am getting to hear is the interest rate they are charging is far over the legal Canadian limit, and it is in every way shape and form its EXTORTION. As a Canadian I am outraged by this behavior, not to mention the Canadian Government assisting a private business in its collection efforts that is not even a Canadian company. Well lucky for me I have some friends in very high places, I intent to put together the biggest lawsuit the 407 has ever seen, I am looking for some good lawyers that have experience with the 407 and its policies also anyone else that is in the same situation, please feel free to email me with your story, I assure you this is one Canadian that will not let it go, They want 23 grand out of me, I will spend a million out of my own pocket to take the 407 down, This is a matter of principal, and this time they got the wrong guy, I am currently in the process of putting together a huge anti 407 marketing campaign on the internet, as this is what my company does, huge internet marketing, I assure you, when I am done with them, there will not be a Canadian around, that does not know about the business practices of the 407 ETR.

CBaird, I feel your pain, my $400 bill escalated to $5,936. I disputed for over 4 years regarding the video charges (even with a transponder) and interest on those video charges, and you are so right Raymond, the ombudsman is a waste of time as was my MP. I am now making arrangements to pay the total bill. I wonder how many government employees/politicians are investors?

Well, alright, to be honest, I was exaggerating things a bit for dramatic effect. I mean who's gonna live for another 90 years and 3 months that's currently old enough to drive? And since the 407 isn't going to be able to sue her after this year because of SOL laws, she really won't be legally liable for any money anyhow.

It's merely that if she decides to get a car for herself (and not be dependant on others) and she stays in Ontario, she'll be on the hook for the money before any plates can be gotten for another car.

To be more realistic, I should have used a period of say, 25 years that she might still be want to be driving - I'm only guessing as I have no idea how old she is now. In that case, it won't be necessary to cough up anything like 17 trillion dollars; no, instead, only a measly $3,395,000 (assuming a grandfathered interest rate) will do. Besides, I'm sure she will have gotten a big raise by that time anyway.

I was reading in "Psychology Today" some time ago, that in a large crowd, it only takes 1/2 of 1 percent of the people in it to start a riot. I can't say if that's true or not since I haven't started any riots lately - but it might be, judging from a few soccer games I've seen. Certainly, what is true is that any law in order to succeed, must have the co-operation of the vast majority of the society in which it's enacted.

After all, it really is true they can't fine or throw everyone in jail because the basic internal logistics of society would break down. Even something as minor as the speed limit on a highway is virtually impossible to enforce. All any limited sized police force can do is catch a few of the more egregious violators. But to try and enforce a law that says that everyone must drive at 100 km per hour on the 401 highway is virtually impossible.

So I think that if 10% (or even 5%) of the population said, "enough is enough" and refused to pay their 407 bills, it wouldn't be feasible for the government to disallow that many people not to be able to get to work in the morning.

The reason that the 407 Consortium has been able to get away with "highway robbery" is that there hasn't been a sufficiently galvanizing organization or group to get as much as 5 or 10 percent of GTA residents on board. I know that Linda Leatherdale, business editor of the Toronto Sun, tried for some time and made some inroads; however, they too, proved insufficient.

Ray

Hmmm... I wonder what would happen if everyone just stopped paying their bills? And then if someone sent a letter to the government to let them know just how impossibly large the debt would be at the end of the lease? If one person's total owing would be in excess of 17 trillion dollars, just how high could it all go? How many dollars need to be at stake before someone takes notice?

It's too bad about the $9,000 Highway 407 bill. I don't know what to say. Mike Harris really sold the people of Ontario down the river by selling off that highway to a group of foreign investors who really don't have to answer to anyone. It's unbelievable that the voters of Ontario tolerated it and still do.

You would think that public's opinion and justified anger would have sufficiently galvanized to create some effective opposition by now; but no, this has not been the case. Donna Cansfield, the Liberal MPP for Etobicoke, and current MTO Minister, seems blissfully unaware (or even uninterested) in the public's plight.

This conclusion was borne out by her recent statement that, generally, everything seems to be running well with the 407 and the public. She doesn't even get that she doesn't get it. If only politicians would give as much thought to the welfare of their constituents as they do to their retirement pension plans.

With regard to your new license plate registration, you don't have to be married or even living common law in Ontario to share vehicle ownership. In fact, several unrelated parties can own the same vehicle. In the case of a single owner, the RIN (or Registrant Identification Number) is the person's driver's licence number. However, if a vehicle is registered to 2 or more people, a RIN is created that is unrelated to any of their individual drivers' licence numbers.

The pitfall is that, if one of them gets in an at-fault accident, then all of parties' insurance records may be adversely affected for the next 6 years. Of course, that would depend on whose names are on the vehicle's insurance policy, which, in turn, may be determined by the policies of the insurer. As well, many people split up and there may be a dispute over who owns the vehicle.

Still, it seems strange that you would have been unaware of a large bill like that hanging around. Licence plate denial got reinstated last Novenber. However, the 407 ETR were having iQor, Inc formerly CBCL - Canadian Bonded Credit Limited - Now Iqor Collection Agency sue everyone who had an outstanding balance of over $500 before they got their licence plate denial privilege back with it's punitive power. If the debt is currently $8937, then six years ago @26.82%, the original amount must have been almost $2150. So I'm surprised the scavengers didn't sue you earlier, as they had your phone number and probably knew where you lived.

The problem resides with the ridiculous reverse ownus provision of Section 17.1 of the 1998 Highway 407 Act, whereby you have to prove you don't owe the money. Any other creditor has to prove that you owe them, but here we have a complete reversal of one of the most fundamental principles of law. How do you prove you didn't do something? I dunno.

Having said that, if you really didn't incur the debt, then I would go down to Queens' Park and speak to the Cansfield and her staff. They are on the 3'rd floor of Ferguson Block, 77 Wellesley Street West. Complaining to the ombudsman, Denise Pelletier would be a waste of time. Strictly window dressing. Same with the Dispute Arbitrator, who gives his address as a small 6 inch mail box in a convenience store at the corner of Mt, Pleasant Rd. and Eglinton Ave., Toronto. How people put up with this nonsense, I'll never know.

Note that if you leave the province, Ontario doesn't have a reciprocity collection agreement with the other provinces concerning 407 toll collections. Because the debt was defaulted on before Jan.1, 2004, the old 6 year limitation period would apply; however, that's about to run out, if it hasn't already. Of course, denial of your licence plate sticker, if you are the individual vehicle owner, will last until October of 2097 - when you will owe them (if the calculator on my computer is working, and the interest rate stays the same), $17,301,682,000,000!!!!

So there, start saving up right now! Just kidding - they won't be able to sue you - but iQor, Inc formerly CBCL - Canadian Bonded Credit Limited - Now Iqor Collection Agency will will be able to legally nag you for the next 90 years OR until death, whichever comes first.

Ray

It is a sickening world when our own government becomes a collection lackey for a private enterprise. What is next...a person owes a credit card debt for prescription drugs and they can't see an OHIP-covered doctor?

Scary.

Raymond, you are so right...the ministry has their hands tied when it comes to plate renewals. I can't imagine how much the counter staff at any vehicles licensing office get harassed over something they can't control. However, I lucked out one sunny afternoon with a government employee who seemed to HATE 407 them same amount that I do when she very helpfully suggested a way to circumnavigate the system.

You see, I went to get a temporary permit for a new vehicle I was purchasing and was informed that I could not obtain any new plates, renew any existing plates, or even get a 10 temporary permit without paying in full my NINE THOUSAND dollar 407 bill.

I nearly blew a gasket. $9000. How does one person rack up a $9000 407 bill? The most I was EVER billed for personally by 407 ETR was for $500 dollars of which I worked out a payment arrangment for and PAID OFF.

Obviously, something is wrong here. So I contact the 407 who informs me that "yes, indeed ma'am you owe 8, 937 dollars and no, we have no proof of the loan. We have no breakdown of the tolls, charges, interest, etc. We even don't have pictures of your six-year old licence plate as we ARCHIVE our info every three years. But yes, you must pay or you don't get plates."

Sweet.

So my VERY helpful gov't employee simply asked if I was married. NO, i'm not, but I do live with my man and have for over five years. Well! That's a common-law spouse and guess what? He owes nothing to 407...so...for $10, we switched the ownership of our current vehicle to include both of our names. Got an entire new RIN created at the ministry and had our new plates within an hour. Also, we purchased our new vehicle under this number and now are happily driving away. Thanks Sheila at the licensing office in Brampton for this tip!

I'm very angry that they are arbitrarily demanding money that they can't prove I actually owe. AND that it's legal that they extort money.

For the nine thousand dollars, I intend to hire a good lawyer to sue 407. I don't even want money FROM them at this point, just an acknowledgement that they have made a mistake and have my plate denial removed from the MTO's computers. I also want the harassing iQor, Inc formerly CBCL - Canadian Bonded Credit Limited - Now Iqor Collection Agency calls to stop.

If it were 200, or $500 or even $1000 dollars, I would pay just to get them OFF my back but $9000????

Bloodsuckers.

Yeah, well, that's what you get when people let their government sell their rights down the river.

I have spent a great deal more time on this than you and I wish I was wrong.

Believe me, there is nothing you can do. Taxpayers have allowed the Ontario Government to sell off their resources to a consortium of foreign investors who are accountable to no one outside of themselves and who will hold the public hostage for the next 90 years.

People don't get the government they ask for, they get the government they deserve.

Once again, read the Highway 407 Act before you respond.

Think, then ink.

Ray