WSVN — Miami-Dade County has issued more than $2 million worth of fines against Uber drivers. Now that the company has pulled out of Broward County, drivers in Dade are afraid they're next. In tonight's special investigation, Craig Stevens tells us why drivers feel they may be taken for a ride.
Take Uber to or from MIA and you could be left waiting at the curb.
Yance Sanchez: "They stopped me here in the airport because I'm driving the Uber service."
7News was there as Yance was stopped while picking up a man flying in from Naples, Florida.
Yance Sanchez: "They gave me two citations, according to Miami-Dade County law, which I think is unfair. $1,010."
That's a total of $2,020 for just one trip to the airport. Hundreds of Uber drivers have received the same citations.
The first citation is for not having a "for hire" license. The second ticket is for failing to obtain a chauffeur registration.
Chris: "I know one guy who had earned $6,000 in fines and another $8,000 in fines."
Chris says he and other drivers didn't worry about the fines because Uber promised to pay them.
Chris: "Uber sent an email to all their drivers telling them if they were ever ticketed, they would pay the fines."
Gustavo Antunez: "I'm stuck with the $2,000. I don't have the money to pay that."
A Fort Lauderdale attorney has been hired by Uber to appeal more than 2,000 citations. Chris and Gustavo's are included in that group, but are nervous because they aren't being updated.
Gustavo Antunez: "The only email I get from them is OK. So we're going to cover you. We're going to pay for you but so far I don't get no answers."
Chris: "Contacting Uber is impossible. Uber does not have a phone number and I've never met an Uber employee in person."
Uber did have an office in Brickell but it's now empty, and drivers are worried that Uber's promises are empty too.
Chris: "Some of my fellow drivers actually have had their tickets go into collections and they're worried their credit history might be impacted."
Those fears are real.
County records show 51 Uber citations have been handed over to a collections agency, and five liens have been placed on the personal property of Uber drivers.
Gustavo Antunez: "The tickets not my problem. It's Uber problem."
But Miami-Dade County officials say it is the driver's problem.
Tere Florin: "We are ticketing the driver and that's where the responsibility lies. So, if for example, Uber were to leave Miami-Dade County, if they just determined they were not going to be providing services here, the ticket is the driver's responsibility."
An Uber spokesperson told us over the phone the company has no plans to leave Miami-Dade County. When asked if they were going to pay their drivers citations, Uber sent this statement. "Uber stands steadfast by our valued partners and their right to provide safe, reliable transportation to their neighbors and visitors."
That's not enough for drivers like Chris and Gustavo.
Gustavo Antunez: "Today, I'm going to start looking for another job because I don't know what is going to happen."