Statute of limitations

[Ronnie Hamilton]

Jurisdiction

Colorado

What is the statute of limitations for a toll road violation in Adams County, Colorado?

 

[adjusterjack]

I don't think there is any.

If you have already been cited and ignored, the government entity has many, many years available to it for collection purposes.

More details would be helpful. Like the date of the violation and what has happened since then.

 

[Ronnie Hamilton]

I don't think there is any.

If you have already been cited and ignored, the government entity has many, many years available to it for collection purposes.

More details would be helpful. Like the date of the violation and what has happened since then.

Approximately September 26th 2005. I would have allegedly been driving through Colorado while on leave with the Army, going between Oregon and Texas, with no familiarity with toll roads.
The person I got into contact with claimed that they (the court) had sent me something by mail to the address I had listed at the time. However, at some point in that time frame I was in another part of the state and had no access to my car since I was about to get stationed in Germany for a couple years. I didn't have my car with me for several months prior to going there also.

 

[adjusterjack]

Appears that you were on the E-470, a privately owned toll road operated by a quasi-government agency given the authority by state law to impose civil penalties on toll violators. Also appears that the tolls are collected by photographing license plates and sending the bill to the owners.

Also appears that the toll road operator has two options, an administrative civil penalty or a lawsuit in court. According to Colorado statute 43-4-506.5 (4) (c) "If an authority establishes an administrative toll enforcement process, no court of a municipality, county, or city and county shall have jurisdiction to hear toll evasion cases arising on a public highway operated by the authority."

The toll road statutes can be found by navigating through this:

LexisNexis® Custom Solution: Colorado Revised Statutes Research Tool

I think that means if you were assessed a civil penalty based on an administrative toll enforcement process, then you cannot be sued for the money.

I haven't found anything to indicate that there is any time limit for collecting the civil penalties and, normally, such a penalty would have no teeth.

Unfortunately, there is now a vehicle registration hold for vehicle owners who are delinquent and you can bet that's going to be forever or until payment is made.

See:

ExpressToll

So, if you never go back to Colorado, I guess you are home free.