HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The Harris County Toll Road Authority said they are clearing a man’s $1,980 bill after Action 13 stepped in.
For six years, 86-year-old Anthony Runshang Jr. said he has been fighting toll road fines on a car he no longer owns.
“I don’t really have words for it,” Runshang said. “I’m disappointed with the Houston Toll Authority.”
The problem can be traced back to June 2020. Runshang said a couple stopped by his Missouri City home and asked if he would consider selling his 1996 Thunderbird.
$300 in cash later, Runshang said the couple, whose name he didn’t get, drove away with the car and title. A few weeks later, Runshang said he started to get bills from the Harris County Toll Road Authority.
“I continued to write them letters that I sold the car, and it’s not mine anymore,” Runshang said.
But the bills, Runshang said, kept coming until, a few weeks ago, a document from the Harris County Clerk arrived, told Runshang to pay more than $1,900 in unpaid toll fees or go to court.
He decided to call Action 13.
“I was trying to figure out how to take care of this without going to that court,” Runshang said.
ABC13 reached out to the DMV, which confirmed that after selling his car, Runshang sent a document notifying the DMV of the sale that is meant to protect the seller from liability involving the car after its sale. But when we contacted HCTRA, they said a receipt for that document never made it from the DMV to them.
It’s not clear why that receipt never showed up in HCTRA’s system.
HCTRA said that after Eyewitness News reached out, they took the extra step of reviewing DMV data and finally confirmed that Runshang did, in fact, sell the Thunderbird in 2020.
HCTRA said they will notify Runshang that the fines are being cleared from his name, but it’s a victory Runshang says he isn’t ready to celebrate just yet.
“I would like to see it resolved, but I need to see it in writing and know that I don’t need to go to this court hearing on Oct.1,” Runshang said.
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