The dispute that publicly splintered one of Atlanta's wealthiest and most private families centers on the oldest of causes: money.
In a recently unsealed lawsuit, four members of the family behind the Rollins Inc. pest control empire complained about the manner in which they, as heirs, stood to be paid under a plan called the Rollins Perpetual Management Trust.
Changes in the trust distribution plan, proposed this year, would provide members of future generations of the family with money from the trust.
In August, four Rollins family members -- Glen, Ruth, Nancy and O. Wayne II -- sued Gary Rollins, their father, and R. Randall Rollins, their uncle. The latter two, along with Henry Tippie, a Rollins Inc. board member who also was sued, oversee the trusts. It is unclear how much money is at stake.
The split already has had an impact. Glen, who served as executive vice president and leader of Orkin, the best known of the Rollins Inc. companies, was fired from his post after the lawsuit was filed.
In their newly available response to the suit, Gary and R. Randall Rollins, along with Tippie, explained the reason for creating the Rollins Perpetual Management Trust.
They stated that, "Randall Rollins and Gary Rollins have presented this plan to their children so that not only the grandchildren of O.W. Rollins, but also future generations of the Rollins family, will be able to enjoy the use of assets that have accrued as a result of the work and vision of O.W. Rollins, Randall Rollins and Gary Rollins."
O.W. Rollins was founder of Rollins Inc., Gary is chief executive and R. Randall is the chairman.
Gary Rollins and attorneys for the firm representing the defendants declined to comment.
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