Some Manhattan residents claim they're being hit with bogus congestion pricing tolls because they live inside the congestion zone.

At times, they're billed when they pull out of their own garage, they say.

Congestion pricing cameras misclassify exits as entries, residents say

Manhattan residents who live below 60th Street expect to pay a toll when they come home, but some say they're also being charged when they leave.

According to the residents, congestion pricing cameras outside their garage sometimes misclassify exits as entries, hitting them with a toll the moment they pull out.

Manhattan Plaza resident Roslyn Seale said she leaves the garage in the morning. She should only be charged when returning to the garage, but her E-ZPass statement included five charges on five separate dates, all between 8:51 a.m. and 9:57 a.m. A sixth charge was for Aug. 17 at 1:01 p.m.

"If it's a morning charge, I know that's automatically an incorrect charge," she said.

CBS News New York showed the MTA Seale's charges, but they said only one was incorrect:  on Aug. 17, she entered the zone at 10:30 p.m., not 1:01 p.m.

Seale has now received a refund, but she's calling for more transparency.

"We have no proof as to what time we came back into the zone," she said.  

Seale's neighbors also question charges.

Congestion pricing software regularly updated, MTA says

State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal said residents shouldn't be charged for exiting a garage within the zone.

"We've spoken to the MTA on numerous occasions," he said. "They understand the problem ... But we're still getting reports that residents are being charged."

CBS News New York asked the MTA about the placement of cameras and if the system was tagging the wrong trips.

An MTA spokesman said in a statement, "The MTA, like tolling agencies worldwide, regularly updates its software to ensure that no one is charged more than the going rate. Anyone who believes that there is a mistaken charge on their toll account is able to request a review."

Hoylman-Sigal says the MTA's assured him technical adjustments have fixed the issue.

"I'm hopeful that the latest change that they've instituted will do just that, but the jury is still out," he said.

How to dispute a toll

Drivers are advised to check their statements weekly and enable alerts on their accounts.

If a charge is wrong, you have 180 days to dispute it. Customers must submit the dispute in writing and fax it to 718-390-9772 or mail it to:

E-ZPass Customer Account Correspondence
PO Box 15187
Albany, NY 12212-5187

Customers should include "additional information that supports your reason for disputing the toll bill along with the coupon from the toll bill," according to the MTA's website.

For more information, visit mta.info/fares-tolls/tolls/how-to-pay-tolls.

Drivers can also contact the Office of the MTA Toll Payer Advocate, which is an independent office within the MTA. More resources can be found on the MTA's website.