Politics & Government

Tri-Cities-Area Businesses Listed Among Illinois Tollway's 'Super Scofflaws'

The Illinois Tollway on Wednesday began publishing on its website the names of businesses that have over $1,000 in fines.

The Illinois Tollway began posting the names of toll violators with fines of $1,000 or more on its website Wednesday and a handful of businesses in the Tri-Cities area were included on that list, according to the Illinois Tollway.


All of the 157 violators listed on the website are businesses, which owe a total exceeding $3.68 million. Here is a look at the businesses in the Tri-Cities area, their ranking and the amount the state claims is owed, that are included on the Illinois Tollway's "Super Scofflaws" list:


  • 20 Asphalt Unlimited Inc., of Montgomery — $57,193.40.

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  • 52 Equity Transportation Co., of Oswego — $16,647.60.

  • 60 Geo W. Kennedy Construction Co. Inc., of West Chicago — $14,584.05

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    The top overall violator owes $214,859 while there are 74 businesses that owe over $10,000 in fines, according to the Tollway's list, which shows a grand total owed.



    The Illinois Tollway plans to update the list quarterly, and says it has filed lawsuits against the 157 businesses on the list in circuit court, as well as an estimated dollar amount for each.


    The list includes:


    • 47 businesses that owe less than $5,000.

    • 36 that owe from $5,000 to $9,999.

    • 34 that owe $10,000 to $24,999.

    • 17 that owe $25,000 to $49,999.

    • 15 that owe $50,000 to $99,999.

  • And eight that owe $100,000 or more.


  • Gov. Pat Quinn signed Senate Bill 1214 on Tuesday, which allows the Illinois Tollway to publish the names of toll violators owing $1,000 or more on the agency’s website.


    "Tolls are a significant source of revenue for maintaining and improving our region’s transportation system, and our board understands that every dollar counts,” Tollway Board Chairwoman Paula Wolff said in the news release. “I want to thank members of the General Assembly and the governor for their support of this initiative, which reinforces the tollway’s zero-tolerance policy against toll scofflaws.”


    Last September, the Illinois Tollway launched a crackdown on toll violations by filing administrative judgments against accused violators in court. Through this initiative, the tollway has filed 187 administrative judgments and collected nearly $500,000.


    “The tollway is committed to using every option available to us to try to collect millions of dollars in unpaid tolls and fines from delinquent drivers,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur in the press release. “Anything less would be unfair to the 98 percent of tollway customers who pay their tolls on time.”


    Up to this point, the Illinois Tollway has contacted each of those on the list at least nine times and offered them multiple opportunities to enter into a settlement agreement, including the option to use a payment plan to settle their debts, according to the news release.


    Overall, the entire process takes from nine months to more than two years, beginning with the time a violator receives the first violation notice from the tollway until the point at which a judgment is filed in court.



    The tollway has also started to work with the Illinois Comptroller’s Office to withhold tax returns from some the agency’s most egregious violators.


    Violators should contact the phone number listed on their collection agency notices for more information about how to resolve their debt.


    SOURCE: Illinois Tollway press release, Illinois Tollway website, Illinois Tollway Super Scofflaws list


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