Central Mass foreclosure petitions nearly double

Foreclosure petitions for Middlesex and Worcester Counties nearly doubled between March 2013 and March of this year, according to The Warren Group.

Worcester County’s foreclosed petitions jumped from 56 to 106, while Middlesex County’s rose from 50 to 98, according to Warren Group data. Petitions mark the first step in the foreclosure process.

The commonwealth as a whole actually fared worse, with foreclosure petitions soaring 133 percent from 283 last March to 660 this March. This ended 16 consecutive months of decline in petition filings, the report said.

March also marked the highest number of petitions filed in a month since February 2013, when 856 petitions were recorded statewide.

"With much of the foreclosure crisis behind us and foreclosure procedures well documented, lenders may be getting more aggressive with delinquent borrowers," Timothy M. Warren Jr., CEO of The Warren Group, said in a statement. "The number of foreclosure starts in March may seem as though the floodgates were opened, but the number is nowhere near the levels reported during the recession."

But for the year, Central Massachusetts is still faring well, with Worcester County petitions down from 410 to 237 and Middlesex County petitions falling from 285 to 220.

Despite the increase in petitions, foreclosure deeds fell 15.3 percent from 229 last March to 194 this March, the report said.