RISMEDIA, July 22, 2010—The number of foreclosures started by lenders in Massachusetts during the month of June decreased from a year earlier, the second straight month that petitions to foreclose have declined, according to a new report by The Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman.

Lenders filed 2,220 petitions to foreclose—which mark the first step in the foreclosure process in Massachusetts—in June, a 21.7% drop from 2,835 a year earlier. June’s foreclosure petitions were up 5.2% from 2,110 in May. Foreclosure petitions have exceeded 2,000 since February. A total of 13,338 foreclosure petitions have been filed so far this year statewide, down 3.4% from 13,813 during the same period in 2009.

For more information, visit www.thewarrengroup.com ^[1].