John B Lovett & Associates

I’ve owned an apt in a building run by them for years and every interaction I’ve ever had with them has been absolutely BREATHTAKINGLY RUDE. Not only that, they squeeze you for every possible outlandish fee they can. Even just to provide you with a simple (existing!) piece of paper — like when I refinanced and needed a photocopy of some document they had — that takes them ZERO time and effort to provide, they’ll charge you like $ 350. It’s ridiculous. I agree with the poster who suspects some of what they do is probably illegal. Between the nasty attitude I get every time I even have to ask them a question to having them rip me off all the time, I absolutely loathe that my building has them and will do everything in my power to get them removed as the management company. I’ve lived in NYC for decades and this is by far the creepiest, rudest management company I’ve ever dealt with. p. s. Be sure to find the grey link at the bottom of this page for additional reviews that Unilocal decided to hide, calling them «not recommended.» You’ll see a lot more of what people really think of Lovett.

I just bought a coop in a building managed by John B. Lovett. I dealt with Donna Chaia she was amazing and very helpful. She is friendly and goes out of her way to answer questions and make sure I am taken care of. They really seem to care. I am so glad to have them managing the new property I bought. It’s clean and well maintained. So far very satisfied. :)

As a realtor I’ve dealt with many management companies and working with John B Lovett & Associates throughout the process of an application their services are greatly appreciated. I love working with such a friendly staff and Donna who is very responsive with my questions. As my buyers purchase in buildings that is managed by JBL, I inform them of how helpful management is and would be if they have any questions. Thanks for all the help and look forward to doing future business with you.

I have had The most wonderful accommodating experience with one of the associates at John B Lovett named Yahara Crespo what a pleasure to work with such a professional person that is courteous but yet kind thank you for everything Angela Kumble

This rating is specifically for the customer service I received from the receptionist of the office. She was fabulous– I was in a bind and needed information from them very quickly. She was very helpful, informative, nice AND she did everything she promised she would and very quickly. Thank you for all your help! You helped me so much.

This is the worst experience I’ve ever had in renting and/​or real estate. Their staff is unprofessional, duplicitous, and downright RUDE. On one particular trip to their office, I listened to the receptionist complain about her colleagues to another employee on the phone for 20 minutes before she asked me how she could help me. Their transfer agents are particularly unprofessional, inefficient, and shady. They purposely delay tasks to bleed more money out of their clients. I’m almost certain that some of their practices are illegal. How this company operates in this manner and wins awards from the city of New York is something that should be investigated by oversight agencies. Avoid this company or anyone who deals with them at all costs. If you are purchasing a co-​op, ask who the management company is first and if it is John B Lovett & Associates, look elsewhere.

I have lived in the nyc area for fifteen years and dealt with many property managers and this firm is by far the worst. It is absolutely impossible to get a hold of them. We had a leak in our roof for two years. After four months they still haven’t returned our move out deposit. We are so glad to be out of an other wise great building that had the worst management company.

This organization is one of the most unprofessional practices with which I’ve had to do business.
As a member of a coop, my experience was soured when, upon selling the coop, the application sat in their office for 9 weeks. Applications, when I bought the place, waited 4 – 6 weeks, which is stated on the application. As I sold the unit, the application could have been expedited (2 – 3 DAYS) if a $ 250 fee had been paid. Since I was never offered this service as the buyer (years ago), I assumed (wrongly) the buyer had to pay it. Week after week went by. Emails sat unanswered and phone calls went unreturned. When I did get ahold of the managing agent for closing matters (see KA’s 6÷27÷14 review on Unilocal) always gave a promise of «this week», «tomorrow» or «your application is next on the list». At several times during the process, they kept making excuses and then suggesting expediting fees of $ 250. Until they finally realized that at that point — after holding my seller’s application hostage for weeks beyond the normal period — I was not going to pay that, they gave me closing date options.
A little backstory — When I bought the place, at week 5 of waiting, my mortgage rate was expiring within a week. I called to tell them and they approved the application, convened the Board of Directors, had the interview, approved me and we closed within one week.
Back to the main story. The seller’s mortgage was expiring during the sixth week of the application sitting in the office. I called and finally spoke with the managing agent who shrugged off the situation and said «they can just get an extension». (Remember, this is right at the end of the 4 – 6 week waiting period).
After the 9 weeks, they tried to extend the closing even further by putting time restraints on when we could close — the sooner the closing, the more expensive. Why? Because if it was to be that week, it had to be at 4:00 pm and because this place’s time is so much more valuable than, say, an owner paying an extra two months of maintenance, they charged a «late» fee of $ 250.
It was five months from the date that the seller saw the apartment to the closing.
The thing about coops is that they can do whatever they want and there is rarely no one to whom they answer. And there is nothing you can do about it.
That is why I no longer own a coop.

I would give them Zero stars if I could. The agent that I worked with is completely incompetent, and unprofessional. During the 7 week process of applying as a sublet, she made the experience so distasteful and difficult that it has deterred both brokers and me as an applicant from ever wanting to work with the management company and/​or cooperative in the future.
Power hunger and defensive, she does not update anyone during the process and withholds necessary information. Her emails are overtaken with defensive remarks as to why she can’t prove information. Failure of effective communication was experience by all parties involved. She deffered me to communicate through my broker but then would fail to inform him of anything. After the passing of two possible closing dates, the process moved onto working without a known closing date and without any communication from her as to what was taking place.
The uselessness of her email was only matched by her rudeness through the phone on the off chance she doesn’t screen your calls out. On two separate occasion she rudely slammed the phone down during our calls.
Eventually after weeks of the brokers and I asking for updates, she emailed declaring that she will no longer be offering updates after this point as the application is still pending.
Her antics were disruptive and made the whole application unnecessarily painful. It was topped off with her stonewalling my move in date. Sending notice of a rejected COI the midnight before my move in over reasons that could easily be remedied. CC-​ing my movers, after having badgered them and effectively causing my movers to remove me off the moving list for the day. The moving company specifically called to complain to me about the management company and that they are not going to allow this to disrupt their work schedule.
From the perspective of the owners, the building and brokers, the new change in management have made the process of bringing in new buyers/​subletters far more difficult and riddled with roads blocks and fees.
As for the agent herself, she fails to recognize her role as the facilitator of applications and transition processes. It appears she is working with her own agenda, because she clearly is not helping to aid in the wishes of the board or the owners of the building. Ie. Disrupting my move after the board verbally allowed my move in early, delaying to process applications in a timely manner for board review etc.
On a side note… From an Owners perspective, it has been commented that they have been known to hold applications hostage to pressure them to pay the high expedited fee. After we had paid the fee, the process still pulled out to 7 – 8 weeks.
Agent Involved:
Yajaira V. Crespo-​Colon
John B. Lovett and Associates, Ltd.

I called the main # for a listing last month. The machine picked it up and I pressed «0» to reach an operator. Quickly, a very friendly voice picked up. Very efficient and professional. I don’t know about your position but I think they have the nicest people there.
I also notice that the address is different but the main tel# is the same. The one I went is 109 – 15 14^th Avenue, College Point, NY 11 356. Easy transportation by bus from Main St. 7 Train station.

This real estate management company specializes in cooperative apartments. This office is located at the very end of College Point which the only way to access it is by car as it’s located in a very shabby, dumpy industrial lot. They lack efficiency and professionalism to respond to shareholders’ problems and keeping well informed where their monthly maintenance fee are being allocated to your building. A copy of Prospectus cost an utter dismay $ 28.50 which we NEVER received upon the initial purchase of our cooperative apartment.
When contacting their office by phone, they do not have a human being to answer calls as it’s an automated machine. If you do not know the contact party’s extension shareholders will be frustrated to be on eternal hold before speaking to a live human being. Shareholder abandonment!