LOS ANGELES – More homes started on the foreclosure path in July, as lenders tackled a backlog of mortgages gone unpaid even while they pulled back on home repossessions.

The number of homes that received an initial notice of default — the first step in the foreclosure process — increased 6 percent in July compared with the same month last year, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday. Filings of initial default notices have increased on an annual basis for three months in a row.

The trend comes as banks work to make up for time lost last year as the mortgage-lending industry grappled with allegations that it had processed foreclosures without verifying documents.

On average, 104,000 homes have entered the foreclosure process each month going back to May. That’s well below the 178,000 per-month average in the peak year of 2009, RealtyTrac said.