margrace Posted December 27, 2006 Report Share Posted December 27, 2006 Here's an interesting one. A bill came the other day for our daughter in law from the 407, she's died 6years ago on the 8 th of December. They are going to take her to small claims court. For any of you who don't know about the 407 it was a new highway above Toronto. It was rented out by the Harris Government to a private company. This company has the right to take away your divers liscence if you don't pay. It also signed an agreement with Ernie Eves that they wouldn't raise the rates more than 2% a year, they have gone up 200%. Seems there was a little * beside Eves assurances that only if use warranted could they raise the price. Well the people who run the 407 are the only ones who can judge use, they refuse to give any explanations of how they arrive at the figures. It seems dead easy to me just count the users when you bill them, why is it a secret" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guyser Posted December 27, 2006 Report Share Posted December 27, 2006 It is a private company , and as such if you dont like to pay don't use it. I rarely ever go on because I don't like paying for it. As for driver licences non-renewal, that changed sometime back, although the company is going to court to re-instate that stupid perk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margrace Posted December 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2006 My sentimtents exactly guysir, I have made sure all my family knows the fact and now none use it. I still am interested in how they can take someone who is dead to court. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guyser Posted December 27, 2006 Report Share Posted December 27, 2006 My sentimtents exactly guysir, I have made sure all my family knows the fact and now none use it.I still am interested in how they can take someone who is dead to court. Have your son show them the death certificate, that way he wont have to pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakeyhands Posted December 28, 2006 Report Share Posted December 28, 2006 thats actually pretty sad. I wouldn't hesitate to involve the press on one like this. It would be interesting to see them take her to small claims court. Christmas must be a difficult time for your son, I hope he is well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margrace Posted December 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2006 My sentimtents exactly guysir, I have made sure all my family knows the fact and now none use it. I still am interested in how they can take someone who is dead to court. Have your son show them the death certificate, that way he wont have to pay. Thats it geyser, my son has a bad habit of keeping every paper he gets. Thats how he was able to beat one of the biggest car companies in a wrongful firing suit. Oh yes he already has the papers from the 407 people thanking him for the copy of her death certificate he sent 3 years ago and also saying that they were closing the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Max Posted December 28, 2006 Report Share Posted December 28, 2006 Here's an interesting one. A bill came the other day for our daughter in law from the 407, she's died 6years ago on the 8 th of December. They are going to take her to small claims court. You should be suing the company for your divided share from the profits generated from the highway since it was taxpayer dollars that built it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margrace Posted December 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2006 Evidently the company covered all those bases, there is a clause that seems to appear to cost the tax payer mega bucks if they in any way interfere with this companys agreement with the Harris government. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmax Posted December 28, 2006 Report Share Posted December 28, 2006 As for driver licences non-renewal, that changed sometime back, although the company is going to court to re-instate that stupid perk. They won. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guyser Posted December 28, 2006 Report Share Posted December 28, 2006 You should be suing the company for your divided share from the profits generated from the highway since it was taxpayer dollars that built it. Huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renegade Posted December 29, 2006 Report Share Posted December 29, 2006 As for driver licences non-renewal, that changed sometime back, although the company is going to court to re-instate that stupid perk. Let us think for a moment what would happen if there was no cheap mechanism to recover unpaid charges. The company would either have to enforce stricter access policies to the highway (ie the camera system which allows any car to enter would need to be changed). One possibility would be toll gates based which only allowed credit-approved drivers (ie one's carring transponders) to pass. Can you imagine the impact to traffic flow? The other choice is that the company would have to hike rates to recover the increased recovery costs of having to take scofflaws to court and then collect. Those rates would impact all drivers on the 407, Face it, it is in the interest of all drivers (except the scofflaws) to ensure that there is a cheap and efficient payment recovery mechanism for the 407 corporation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilber Posted December 29, 2006 Report Share Posted December 29, 2006 It is a private company , and as such if you dont like to pay don't use it. I rarely ever go on because I don't like paying for it.As for driver licences non-renewal, that changed sometime back, although the company is going to court to re-instate that stupid perk. Don't know if it's true but I've heard stories about out of Province vacationers getting some big bills that they weren't expecting. Are there no toll booths on this highway so that out of towners know what they are getting into beforehand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverwind Posted December 29, 2006 Report Share Posted December 29, 2006 Face it, it is in the interest of all drivers (except the scofflaws) to ensure that there is a cheap and efficient payment recovery mechanism for the 407 corporation.This argument illustrates why some essential services should never be run by a private company. If the gov't needs to act as a collection agent for a private business to avoid inconveniencing the public then the gov't should be providing the service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmax Posted December 29, 2006 Report Share Posted December 29, 2006 Face it, it is in the interest of all drivers (except the scofflaws) to ensure that there is a cheap and efficient payment recovery mechanism for the 407 corporation. I really couldn't care less about the 407 company and the scofflaws that don't pay. Fact is , one form of highway robbery or the other. Everyone whom uses the 407 shouldn't pay, and let the company chase em all for the money. Leasing the 407 will stand as one of the most incompentent ideas ever to possess a government. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB Posted December 30, 2006 Report Share Posted December 30, 2006 I guess the 407 was build for luxury. I can't afford to travel on this highway because it is rather costly. I have received a few of the bills so I know - I try my best to avoid making myself poorer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guyser Posted December 30, 2006 Report Share Posted December 30, 2006 Don't know if it's true but I've heard stories about out of Province vacationers getting some big bills that they weren't expecting. Are there no toll booths on this highway so that out of towners know what they are getting into beforehand? Oh that is true, some of our American friends get the bills too. I wouldn't exactly call them big bills, the thing is only 37K long ( I think ). They should know they have to pay, whether they do or not.There are no "tolls" as such, but there are signs everywhere indicating what you are getting on. My only wish is I could get a clients drivers licence renewal refused since when they haven't paid their bills I sent them.Oh how nice that would be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renegade Posted December 30, 2006 Report Share Posted December 30, 2006 Face it, it is in the interest of all drivers (except the scofflaws) to ensure that there is a cheap and efficient payment recovery mechanism for the 407 corporation.This argument illustrates why some essential services should never be run by a private company. If the gov't needs to act as a collection agent for a private business to avoid inconveniencing the public then the gov't should be providing the service. Personally, I would have no issue with the government providing the service itself, provided that the non-user was not forced to fund the building or subsidizing of the highway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renegade Posted December 30, 2006 Report Share Posted December 30, 2006 I really couldn't care less about the 407 company and the scofflaws that don't pay. Fact is , one form of highway robbery or the other. Everyone whom uses the 407 shouldn't pay, and let the company chase em all for the money. Get real. Exactly how long do you think access to the highway would last if no one payed? Lets imagine you could get all 407 users to agree to use but not pay for the highway. The 407 corp would soon implement a system whereby you would need to post funds in advance from an account which would be debited upon use. A similar system is used by some utilites if you have no credit record. Don't have funds to post in advance? Too bad, so sad, go wait on the 401 like everyone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guyser Posted December 30, 2006 Report Share Posted December 30, 2006 Personally, I would have no issue with the government providing the service itself, provided that the non-user was not forced to fund the building or subsidizing of the highway. You mean how we already can with school levies and other social services ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renegade Posted December 30, 2006 Report Share Posted December 30, 2006 You mean how we already can with school levies and other social services ? No, I'm expecting even if it was government run, it would still be a toll road, and the cost to buid and operate the highway would be based upon toll fees collected. I suppose it is always an option that the government could buy it back from the 407 corp, but I doubt they would do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilber Posted December 30, 2006 Report Share Posted December 30, 2006 Don't know if it's true but I've heard stories about out of Province vacationers getting some big bills that they weren't expecting. Are there no toll booths on this highway so that out of towners know what they are getting into beforehand? Oh that is true, some of our American friends get the bills too. I wouldn't exactly call them big bills, the thing is only 37K long ( I think ). They should know they have to pay, whether they do or not.There are no "tolls" as such, but there are signs everywhere indicating what you are getting on. My only wish is I could get a clients drivers licence renewal refused since when they haven't paid their bills I sent them.Oh how nice that would be. It was my understanding that if you don't have a transponder and they had to track you down, the fee was quite hefty for RV's. Maybe not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margrace Posted December 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2006 Why couldn't that road have been a toll road, there are others choices, but oh yes Mr. Harris announced the Ontario was open for business. He wanted instant money to use to cover his deficits. Another one is the signage contracts along the highways all rights owned by a company in the US. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renegade Posted December 30, 2006 Report Share Posted December 30, 2006 Why couldn't that road have been a toll road, It was. there are others choices, Such as? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margrace Posted December 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2006 Why didn't Mr. Harris set it up the same as the kokahala (sp) but then he wouldn't have accessed immediate money would he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drea Posted December 30, 2006 Report Share Posted December 30, 2006 Margrace... it's "Coquihalla", but here in BC we just call it the Coq 'cause nobody can spell it. And no one HAS to drive it. There is the Canyon Hwy as an alternate route. The Coq been sold off to private enterprise by the way and now the BC govt is all ticked off because the private contractor has not been removing snow on a regular basis and the road has been closed many times this year. I would rather pay my $10 toll to the govt than some private enterprise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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