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| Randall Rollins |
As the billionaire chairman of Atlanta-based Rollins Inc. and Orkin Pest Control, Randall Rollins seems like a guy who takes numbers seriously. But based on his actions in a divorce case here in Shelby County, Alabama, Mr. Rollins must think the rest of us are a bunch of dunderheads when it comes to numbers.
How else to explain what transpired in Rollins v. Rollins, which I have described as the worst courtroom cheat job I've encountered in the civil arena? Here are the numbers, and you can decide if something is fishy:
Birmingham resident Sherry Carroll Rollins told Legal Schnauzer she saw documents showing that a real-estate development company called St. James Capital LLC was started with $34 million--$17 million from Randall Rollins and $17 million from John W. Rollins Sr. John Rollins' portion was on behalf of Ted Rollins, his son and Sherry Rollins' husband at the time, with Ted designated as company president. According to Ms. Rollins, the documents showed that when John Rollins died in 2000, his shares went back into the company, and Ted Rollins became half owner.
When Ted and Sherry Rollins were getting divorced, and the case unlawfully was moved from South Carolina to Alabama, Ms. Rollins' lawyers deposed Randall Rollins about St. James Capital. (See Notice of Deposition at the end of this post.)
During the proceedings, Randall Rollins turned over a copy of a document called a Membership Interest Purchase Agreement. It states that Ted Rollins had sold his interest in St. James Capital for roughly $85,000, the total of loans he had received from Randall Rollins. (See document at the end of this post.)
Was this document legitimate? Does it make any sense in light of the following statement that Sherry Rollins made to Legal Schnauzer via e-mail:
I saw the paperwork in Ted's computer, where John Rollins put $17 million in for Ted, and Randall put in $17 million, for a total of $34 million to start the company in 1999. Ted was a Class B shareholder at that time and the two elderly Rollinses were Class A. Ted's dad died in 2000, and his shares in the will went back into the company, making Ted half owner of the company. Ted was not just the president; he owned half of the company. The company, in 2001 when I filed for divorce, owned 28 properties all over the U.S. and Canada, which had been or were being developed.
Let's digest that for a moment: You have a $17 million ownership stake in a company, which owns 28 properties around North America, and you are in business with your billionaire cousin who seems to know a thing or two about making a buck. You are going to sign away your rights to all of that for $85,000?
And that's not all.
During the divorce proceedings, Sherry Rollins hired an expert witness named David Wooldridge, who tried to determine the value of Ted Rollins' stake in St. James Capital. Mr. Wooldridge is not exactly a small timer; he is a shareholder in the Birmingham law firm of Sirote and Permutt, specializing in tax litigation, family succession, and business planning.
What did Wooldridge discover? Well, it appears Randall and Ted Rollins were not terribly forthcoming with information, and Shelby County Circuit Judge D. Al Crowson did not make them cough up much. But here is Sherry Rollins' statement about Mr. Wooldridge's testimony at trial:
When David Wooldridge testified at the divorce proceedings for an entire day, after examining anything he could lay his hands on regarding St. James Capital, he testified that Ted had the month before earned $1.4 million from one piece of property St. James owned.
Let's put ourselves in Ted Rollins' shoes: We've got an ownership stake in a company that had netted us, just the month before, $1.4 million--and that's on only one of 28 properties the company owns. We are going to sell our share of the company for $85,000?
I come from a long line of financial incompetents; I have relatives all over northwest Arkansas, and to my knowledge, not one of them thought to buy stock in a little outfit called Wal-Mart, when it started in that region a few decades back. I'm perfectly capable of "turning a million in real estate into $25 in cash," but not even I would be stupid enough to make the deal that Randall and Ted Rollins claim they struck.
After reporting on Ted Rollins' machinations for roughly two years, I'm not surprised by much of anything he might try to pull. Who can forget the famous child-support document where he claimed to make $50,000 a year--even though a court already had found he owned multiple private jet craft, was the president of St. James Capital, and belonged to one of the nation's wealthiest families.
But Randall Rollins? This guy breathes the same rarefied air of folks like Warren Buffet and Ted Turner. He's surrounded by names like that on various rankings of business tycoons.
Randall Rollins wouldn't blow smoke up our fannies, would he? He wouldn't commit perjury, would he?
Here are a couple of documents related to St. James Capital from discovery in Rollins v. Rollins. We have more to come.
R. Rollins Depo
R. Rollins Sell Out
Yes of course he moved to be the plaintiff, had to, he sued in the state where venue was guaranteed by his very own tribe.
ReplyDeleteI am becoming convinced that every knowledgeable is connected***see below***
Plaintiff has the burden of proof, as a most arduous task, however, when executed properly, this can produce what needs to be the law followed arduously and therefore, honored also laboriously due process as reality.
You make reference to your family and inept at finance, no Wall Mart stock. I'm not certain that was or is, inept - the global meltdown has-and-is, impacting China, big.
Knowledgeable is referencing every recipient of U.S. Constitution's digital keystroke credit, and not as debt, obviously.
MalcomX (our current US President is rumored to be of his lineage, btw, look it up) said "A Bloodless Revolution," was necessary. Globally and at home, it does not look like bloodless. "How To?"
"... ***(6). But, in trying to avoid a socio-economic implosion and a stock exchange collapse on Wall Street ahead of the November 2012 elections (7) whilst trying to save its own credibility under heavy attack from the Republican camp, it chose “Psychological Easing” rather than “Quantitative Easing” . . . ." con't ..
Global Europe Anticipation Bulletin, (GEAB) Global Research, September 18, 2012,
NOW PLEASE, "Psychological Easing!?" Yes, you're correct Roger Shuler, the "establishment" mistakes us for the fools whose ship docked and we're ready to purchase whatever the "Rollins," "CEOs," "IPOs," OBAMA-ROMNEY "Hollywood Ann Rand" movie shows US as our "reality."
Time to swallow that other pill in the Matrix, I never can remembver the correct color, I'll look it up immediately. Digial money fraud is quite a handsome return for the global tribal banditos. From Popes, that fleece for Rome to the Brits who were really so raped, pillaged and plundered by the Romans, Roman works, and here it is, a Judeo-Christian Mafioso, doing ITS' best for the new game, a Mormon global Mafioso.
TIME: Think Article I, Section IX, Clause VII, it is our "right."
wow, maybe there's "Hope?" /rk
Mr. Rollins seems to believe in "funny math." You put $17 million into a company and then sell your stake for $85,000? Hard to swallow that one.
ReplyDeleteI suppose Ms. Rollins could be mistaken about what she saw in those documents. But I've followed this story pretty closely, and her credibility seems strong. Plus, the documents posted here indicate she was right on target about who was a Class A Shareholder, Class B, etc.
ReplyDeleteThis all smells funny. I think Mr. Orkin should be faced with a few tough questions.
Randall Rollins sounds a lot like Mitt Romney. He got rich by inheriting a bunch and then cheating people for the rest.
ReplyDeleteTed Rollins and Randall Rollins didn't have to do a thing to become wealthy other than be born....they won that gene lottery thing. But the most valuable thing they got from the Rollins fathers; Wayne and John, is the talent for lying and committing acts of fraud/perjury on an as needed basis and sometimes just for the sheer pleasure and entertainment value.
ReplyDeletePeople mean very little to these Rollins. Don't be fooled by their philanthropy in the tabloids and media; they are addicted to fame also. They have never given a person a penny or a crumb of bread if it wasn't written up in a newspaper or a you tube video. If you google Rollins grandchild in Atlanta and the Atlanta Zoo you will see that they gave 3million to a particular monkey at the zoo for a new habitat. Compare that to what the Rollins girls were given in the Ted Rollins/Sherry Rollins divorce in Shelby County...ZERO, no home, and $407 dollars each per month. Maybe the media in the past has focused on the wrong stories about Rollins philanthropy....with the exception of the present blogger...Legal Schnauzer.
Anon at 12:00--
ReplyDeleteThanks for your insights. I've reviewed discovery documents related to Randall Rollins, and I have more coming on this subject.
My impression is that he must think the rest of us are a bunch of complete idiots. Documents in the file show that St. James Capital was involved with multiple properties that were worth more than $1 million each. And Ted Rollins sold his stake in the company for $85,000.
I'm not sure I've ever seen a more blatant con game in my life.
Don't know if any of you readers of Legal Schnauzer have seen this-- I recently ran across an article about a company called American Textile Services Inc. in Raleigh, N.C. in the late 1990's going bankrupt. Guess who the owner of that company was? None other, Ted Rollins. I bet he doesn't mention this company in his resume' for wall street. Especially since he and other Rollins family members were "secured creditors" in the bankruptcy settlement. I researched "secured creditors" and found that these are the actual people who really get PAID what they are owed from the bankruptcy monies from the company's assets. So, it looks like Rollins et al found a way to even make money off a bankrupt company when a ROLLINS happens to be the person filing bankruptcy. 1998/99 bankruptcy records, Raleigh, N.C. American Textiles Company Inc. The records are public documents; NC Bankrupty Court, Raleigh.
ReplyDeleteLS: Just wondering if Randall Rollins even knows about the documents produced to show that he bought Ted Rollins shares? You know the boy Rollins Ted is not above forgery, right? Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteAnon at 12:07--
ReplyDeleteI've referenced American Textile Services a few times in my reporting, but don't know a lot about it. Thanks for your info. I do understand that a man named Harold Hoffmeier had worked hard to pull the struggling company out of the gutter somewhat, and Ted Rollins came along, ran off Mr. Hoffmeier, and took the company into bankruptcy. I think Mr. Rollins also had some major IRS issues at that time. Perhaps you know something about all of that. Found a recent "back to school" interview with Ted Rollins at Yahoo Finance, with the CEO touting Campus Crest Communities. Don't see any reference to his experience with ATS:
http://finance.yahoo.com/video/companynews-18928726/back-to-school-season-super-says-campus-crest-ceo-30374697.html
Anon at 12:10--
ReplyDeleteYou raise an interesting point. The documents I have indicate that Randall Rollins was deposed in ATL, so I'm guessing he knows about this. But documents can get shuffled around in a legal case, and it's not absolutely clear that he is aware of this so-called agreement where Ted Rollins sold his share in St. James Capital.
You might double check me on the document, but my memory is that it is not signed or dated. Hmmm.
I've been thinking about the possibility that this being blatant might be purposeful. For example, look what was done to Siegelman. He is in jail even though he didn't commit a crime. Wouldn't it have been super easy to get someone to lie/testify that Siegelman committed a clear cut crime? Maybe the message is intentional that one doesn't have to be guilty of any crime to end up in jail. It doesn't even matter that the statute of limitations expired. Could it be that expect no laws to apply is the intentional message?
ReplyDeleteMr. Shuler:
ReplyDeleteI live in Birmingham, have ties to the legal community, and read your blog almost every day. I don't always agree with your approach, but I admit our system has problems, and your posts sometimes hit a little too close for comfort.
I was intrigued that Sirote wound up being involved in some way with the Rollins divorce case. From firsthand experience, I know that David Wooldridge is a world-class lawyer. If Ms. Rollins hired him, she was trying very hard to get at the truth and to achieve justice.
From your posts on this case, it sounds like justice was not achieved, even though a very good lawyer was trying to unearth information about the finances involved. I'm not sure why that happened, but it concerns me that our system might have utterly failed on this one.
As you probably can tell, I am high on the Sirote firm in general. (I don't work there, by the way.) History has taught me that lawyers from that firm genuinely work toward a just result, and I have no doubt that David Wooldridge took that approach. He's a serious, talented guy.
Was Mr. Wooldridge stonewalled in a way that even someone with his skills could not overcome it? If so, a court never should allow that to happen.
I look forward to your future reporting on this matter. I like to think I am in a noble profession, but I must say this one troubles me.
Anon at 1:26--
ReplyDeleteYou might be right. And if so, someone is sending a message of fear. It's extremely disconcerting for citizens to know that someone can be convicted for a bogus crime. It's also disconcerting that citizens can be horribly cheated in civil cases--in a divorce case like the Rollins matter, in some of the stuff I've experienced, etc.
Your point is well taken. In my view, you are talking about a form of terrorism. If you ask Sherry Rollins, I bet she would say she feels like a victim of a terrorism attack, one that has been sanctioned by lawyers, judges.
It really is a matter of psychological warfare. Imagine how exasperating it is to know there are marital assets to which you are lawfully entitled, but a billionaire tells bold-faced lies to ensure you get nothing. Imagine that a husband, who is worth into the millions, says he has a salary of $50,000 a year--and gets away with it. And your children go hungry and struggle because of it.
When you get right down to it, Randall and Ted Rollins are glorified terrorists. So is the judge in the Siegelman case and the judges who have cheated me. So is Al Crowson, the judge in the Rollins case.
And the lawyers who sit quietly and let this happen are what we might call "supporters, or sponsors, of terrorism." They certainly are enablers.
Terrorist is the definitive word for the Ted Rollins pigs who instigate these actions on their own families. Word also fits nicely on the judges and lawyers who appear to enjoy their roles. It's hard to believe your eyes and ears when you witness judges and lawyers enjoying the terrorizing of innocent families. I think maybe some unsuspecting lawyers find themselves the recipient of fear themselves. I'd be interested in the poster who knows and respects Mr. Wooldridge views on what he could and also should have done considering these circumstances. Possibly the better descriptive for him might be fearful or coward or maybe even sickened and disgusted and at this moment he is working to fight for justice. Or maybe he rationalized that he did all that he could do to help and anything more would have just hurt Sherry and her family. Also probably more importantly his career.
ReplyDeleteAnon at 5:55--
ReplyDeleteOh, I think lawyers who go into the field intending to behave honorably do indeed wind up being terrorized. They know they are at the mercy of judges who are untouchable. They can spend probably into the six figures on a legal education (plus office infrastructure, etc.) and find their careers at risk if they statnd up to a corrupt judge.
Speaking for the poster on Mr. Wooldridge, I suspect Wooldridge did all he could and realized the fix was in when Judge Crowson would not force the Rollins clan to turn over discoverable information. My guess is that Ms. Rollins' regular lawyers--I think it was MaryLee Abele and Conrad Fowler at that point--told Wooldridge the fix was in, right up front, so just do the best he could. They probably told him that Crowson was not going to force legit discovery. Judges control the entire discovery process, at their discretion, and lawyers know they can't do anything about it because appeals courts don't overturn trial judges on stuff like that. In some cases, I suspect lawyers have been paid off by the other side, so they don't want to do anything about it.
I bet Abele and Fowler got their money, even though Ms. Rollins got left holding the proverbial bag. Ted Rollins will pay people like them; he won't pay his ex wife.
If you check the Sirote Web site, they do practice matrimonial law, so they could not fight back too hard without risking retaliation in future cases.
Hopefully, we will hear back from the poster who referenced Sirote. Personally, I do not share his high opinion of the firm. I think they might be quite a few notches above the true vermin--the Bradley Arants and Haskell Slaughters. But I still don't think they rise anywhere near to the level of "honorable." In fact, I doubt that any law firm does--at least in a cesspool like Alabama.
My research indicates Alabama hardly is the only legal cesspool. California's horrible, NY is horrible, IL is horrible . . . the list goes on and on. (Plus honorable mention to Florida, which might be worst of all, from what I read.)
I've come to the conclusion long ago that these billonaires are psychopaths who KNOW they are "above the law."
ReplyDeleteAnd lawyers are going to cash in on way or another when a family owned corporation- Landmark Communications Inc. of Norfolk- is forced to sale of one its properties to cover up its crimes.
Example:
Willcox & Savage of Norfolk was among the law firms that represented Landmark in the sale of the Weather Channel.
http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=32281390
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/07/business/media/07weather.html?_r=0
And the criminal conspiracy--and I won't leave the FBI out of this 'cause they're guilty as hell- of this judge:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/21/politics/21bush.html?pagewanted=allhttp://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/21/politics/21bush.html?pagewanted=all
with the various lawyer riffraff-David W. Bouchard,Conrad Shumadine,Hunter Sims was the reason Frank Batten Jr. had to quickly dispose of the Weather Channel.
Every great "fortune" on this earth plane indicates the "family" with that particular "wealth" has more likely than not, committed a great crime. This is an old saying, too.
ReplyDeleteLS, your work is such an enlightened path for our healing, thank you so very, very much.
How much lawyers would charge the "public," to produce the work that you do, for the whole nation to be the thriving Republic intended.
Sick? America is very, very ill.
Dr., Dr., Mr. American Journalist.
The Journalists are typically the first in line for mass slaughter.
Thankfully, LS, you stand.
Careful is the motto, as you know.
tx/rk
Jeffrey, The "weather channel" was and is BIG business. One example is selling the human population on the inhumane pouring poisons into our skies, and then the weaponry for our constant "terror."
ReplyDeleteIt is a "Pavlovian" technique.
CIA, FBI, ET AL.
CIA, evolved as the AIR and therefore, our military that is in charge of "skies."
Father was top CIA, once upon a time, before he realized exactly what was going on. BOY did that change the equation. Brother is dead for writing a manuscript about "Father and the CIA."
Mother before she passed showed me where in Oregon, the Evergreen International Air, is where the chemicals are being locked and loaded into the planes flying with, as you say, "above the law."
Actually, these monsters ARE the law, it is decided, notice, we do not have rights unless we fight for them and even then, LS proves, it does not matter. This is 2012, our rights' were guaranteed, as you know, in the 1700s and 1800s.
We're backwards because there is no "representative government."
FBI, CIA, MOSSAD, INTERPOL, M15, and name an information control dictatorship that isn't "US."
The "Monsters" control our sovereignty via debt-credit. How ignorant are we?
/rk
The bank examiner-Richard Fraher thinks all the conspirators in the Farmers Bank case are crooks.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/21/politics/21bush.html?pagewanted=allhttp://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/21/politics/21bush.html?pagewanted=all
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19980416&id=VTMzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zwgGAAAAIBAJ&pg=6989,3512615