Petitions to foreclose fell nearly 33 percent in Worcester County in April, as petitions statewide continued to trend downwards.
Auctions fell slightly by 5 percent, and foreclosure deeds, which represent completed foreclosures, increased by 167 percent — from 12 to 32 — over April 2016, according to Wednesday data from Boston real estate data firm The Warren Group. Petitions in Middlesex County fell by 10 percent.
Petitions fell by 47 percent in Worcester and by 22 percent in Fitchburg. Foreclosure petitions represent the first step in the foreclosure process, when lenders file a notice of intention to foreclose with the Land Court.
Statewide, lenders filed 990 petitions to foreclose in April, an 11 percent decrease. Petitions in Massachusetts have been trending downward for about 10 months, with the exception of last month, when they were up by 5.8 percent. Auctions fell 31 percent and deeds increased by 14 percent.
