(A) The registered owner of a motor vehicle that utilizes a toll project is liable for payment of the applicable user fee.

(B)

(1) If the registered owner, in response to an invoice mailed to the registered owner under section 5531.141 of the Revised Code or a late notice mailed under section 5531.142 of the Revised Code, submits a notice to contest liability for the user fee or any administrative fee, the toll project operator shall schedule a hearing at which the registered owner may contest liability for the user fee or administrative fee. The toll project operator shall send written notice by regular first class mail to the registered owner listing the time and date of the hearing. A hearing officer of the toll project operator shall preside over the hearing and shall hold the hearing not later than thirty-five days after the date of mailing of the hearing notice. The hearing officer shall conduct the hearing at a location within the county in which the toll project is located. The registered owner may present evidence at the hearing as to the reasons why the registered owner is not liable for payment of the user fee or administrative fee.

At the hearing, the hearing officer shall determine if the registered owner is liable for the payment of any user fee or administrative fee.

(2) Upon a finding by the hearing officer that the registered owner is not liable for payment of the user fee or administrative fee, the hearing officer shall enter that finding into the records of the toll project operator and cancel the invoice.

(3) If the hearing officer finds that the registered owner is liable for payment of the user fee or any administrative fee, the hearing officer shall enter that finding into the records of the toll project operator. If payment in full is not made upon completion of the hearing, the hearing officer shall notify the registrar of motor vehicles of the hearing officer's decision that the registered owner is liable for payment of the user fee or any administrative fee. The hearing officer also shall include with the notification to the registrar a motor vehicle certificate of registration issuance prevention order. The hearing officer shall give the registered owner a copy of the order. The order remains in effect until the toll project operator notifies the registrar that all unpaid user fees and administrative fees have been paid in full.

If the hearing officer finds that the registered owner is liable for payment of the user fee or any administrative fee and the registered owner resides in another state, the hearing officer shall send notice of the hearing officer's decision to the department, division, bureau, office, or other unit of government that is functionally equivalent to the bureau of motor vehicles. The hearing officer shall include with the notice the registration prevention order, which shall have the same effect in another state or jurisdiction as in this state.

(4) If the registered owner does not pay all unpaid user fees and administrative fees within thirty-five days after the date of the hearing officer's decision that the registered owner is liable for payment of such fees, and the registered owner does not file an appeal described in division (C) of this section within that same thirty-five-day time period, the toll project operator may file a civil suit against the registered owner in the municipal court or county court having jurisdiction over the location of the toll project as provided in section 5531.146 of the Revised Code.

(C)

(1) The registered owner may appeal an adverse finding by the hearing officer to the municipal court or county court having jurisdiction over the location of the toll project within thirty-five days after the date of the hearing officer's decision that the registered owner is liable for payment of such fees. If the registered owner fails to file an appeal with the municipal court or county court within that time period, the registered owner is considered to have waived the registered owner's right to appeal the decision of the hearing officer. After that time period has expired, the toll project operator may file a civil suit against the registered owner in the municipal court or county court having jurisdiction over the location of the toll project as provided in section 5531.146 of the Revised Code.

Upon the filing of a timely appeal by the registered owner, the clerk of the municipal court or county court shall notify the registrar of the filing of the appeal by the registered owner. The motor vehicle certificate of registration issuance prevention order is automatically stayed pending the results of the appeal in the municipal court or county court.

(2) At the appeal hearing, the municipal court or county court shall determine whether the registered owner is liable for the payment of any user fee or administrative fee. If the court finds that the registered owner is not liable for payment of the user fee or administrative fee, the court shall issue a ruling to that effect and cancel the invoice. The toll project operator immediately shall inform the registrar of the ruling and shall direct the registrar to cancel the motor vehicle certificate of registration issuance prevention order issued under division (B)(3) of this section.

If the court finds that the registered owner is liable for payment of the user fee or any administrative fee, the court shall issue a ruling to that effect. If the court issues such a ruling and payment in full is not made to the toll project operator upon completion of the appeal hearing, the toll project operator shall inform the registrar of motor vehicles of the ruling and the failure by the registered owner to make payment in full. In that circumstance, the stay of the motor vehicle certificate of registration issuance prevention order described in division (C)(1) of this section terminates and the order becomes effective. In addition, if the registered owner fails to pay in full the user fee and any administrative fee within thirty-five days after the date the court issues the ruling, the toll project operator may file a civil suit against the registered owner in the municipal court or county court having jurisdiction over the location of the toll project as provided in section 5531.146 of the Revised Code.

If, upon completion of the appeal hearing, the registered owner makes payment in full to the toll project operator of all user fees and administrative fees that the court ruled the registered owner was liable for payment, the toll project operator shall inform the registrar of motor vehicles of the ruling and the payment in full by the registered owner and direct the registrar to cancel the motor vehicle certificate of registration issuance prevention order.

(D) If the registered owner fails to pay an invoice and any administrative fee and fails to submit a notice to contest liability for any of those fees within thirty-five days after the date of mailing of the invoice, the toll project operator may send a late notice to the registered owner as provided in division (C) of section 5531.142 of the Revised Code. If, in response to the late notice, the registered owner submits a notice to contest liability for the user fee and any administrative fee within thirty-five days after the date of mailing of the late notice, the toll project operator shall schedule and hold a hearing as described in division (B)(1) of this section. Divisions (B)(2), (3), and (4) and (C)(1) and (2) of this section apply to such a hearing.

Added by 130th General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 533, §1, eff. 9/11/2014.