How many corporations does it take to build a toll road? Rays Wells has at least five Superslab related corporations.
(The links are to the Colorado Secretary of State's website. First you'll need to click THIS LINK and then use the back button to get back to this page. Then I think the links will work for you. If not you can search for the business names at that site.) The people named are in the original filings, some have been added or deleted over the years.
1. Front Range Toll Road Company - Incorporated on June 27, 1986. This is the one that claims the 12 mile wide corridor. The original participants are B.H. Smartt, William W. Poleson, John R. Sheaffer, Ray S. Wells, Thomas T. Grimshaw.
2. Toll Road Associates Limited Partnership - Incorporated January 12, 1988. The named partners are Ray Wells and Alexander Ben David.
3. Flat Penny Incorporated - Incorporated August 8, 1995. This is a railroad in the same corridor as the Front Range Toll Road Company. They say the plan is to build the railroad first and use it to transport machinery and materials for the construction of the road. Then they want the railroads to use it but the railroads aren't interested. Thomas T Grimshaw, Mary L. Carter, Gilbert F. McNeish, Matthew R. Dalton, Norman F. Kron, Jr. are the incorporators. The members of the board are Ray S. Wells, Melvin D. Flowers, William W. Poleson, John R, Sheaffer and William A. Tolbert.
4. Front Range Toll Road Ltd., LLLP - Incorporated July 7, 2004. A Limited Liability Limited Partnership. William C. Waller, Jr. is the registered agent. The general partner is Front Range Toll Road Management, LLC (see #5 below)
5. Front Range Toll Road Management, LLC - Incorporated July 7, 2004, the same day as #4. A Limited Liability Company. This company is the general partner of #4 above. If anyone knows what this kind of arrangement is about please let me know. William C. Waller, Jr. is the registered agent and the person forming the company. He is a lawyer specializing in estates, wills and taxes so this may be about Ray preparing to haunt us from beyond the grave. Waller's website is here.
So which corporation will try to take our land? Which one will be held accountable by the state for debts and liability? Who are the hidden partners? Who are the secret investors? The only reason to have all of these structures is to hide the money and hide the people and avoid accountability.
Wells, a licensed pilot, has had three aviation related corporations including Cherry Creek Aviation which created such a mess in their contract with Steamboat Springs. These are in addition to R.S. Wells Company (where he actually does business) and a few others. He apparently can't sneeze without spawning a few corporations.
I am just learning that corporations have not always been a way that businessmen can avoid responsibility for their failures. A couple of court decisions over the years created that situation. Program on Corporations, Law, and Democracy and Reclaim Democracy are two sites where you can learn about the expanded powers of corporations.