LOS ANGELES — Fewer Americans had their homes repossessed by banks or were put on notice for being behind on their mortgage payments in April compared to a year ago.

That would ordinarily suggest improving fortunes for U.S. homeowners, but the decline had less to do with any turnaround in the housing market than with foreclosure processing delays that appear to be getting worse. That is threatening to drag out a housing recovery, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. said.

Banks repossessed 69,532 homes last month, down 5 percent from March and down 25 percent compared with April of last year. The number of properties receiving an initial notice of default fell to 63,422, down 14 percent from March and down 39 percent from April, 2010. Homes set for auction for the first time also declined in April, down 7 percent from March and 37 percent below April of last year.