BOSTON – Massachusetts saw 566 completed foreclosures in August, the lowest monthly level to date in 2012, The Warren Group said last week.

August also marked the third consecutive month of year-over-year, foreclosure-deed decreases. It was also the fewest number of completed foreclosures in any month since February 2011, when there were 521 foreclosure deeds statewide.

Foreclosure deeds dropped 40 percent, from 947, in August 2011. In total, 5,975 foreclosure deeds have been filed in Massachusetts in 2012. That figure represented an 8.4 percent increase compared to 5,511 deeds recorded during the same period last year.

Year over year, foreclosure petitions rose slightly in August, increasing 4.2 percent to 1,456 from 1,397 in August 2011. Petitions have increased every month so far this year, except in July when starts dropped 16.8 percent year over year. A total of 12,079 foreclosure petitions have been initiated so far this year, up 46 percent from 8,253 petitions filed the same period last year, The Warren Group said. •