Lenders are not always following through on the foreclosures they start, according to the New York Times.

Declining property values, legal fees and the cost of maintaining and selling vacant, often badly damaged, homes can make it cheaper for banks to write a home off as a total loss.

City officials in Buffalo told the Times that the problem had reached epidemic proportions, forcing it to sue 37 banks that were responsible for the deterioration of at least 57 abandoned homes.

If the bank walks away before borrowers move out, they can continue living there, without making any payments, indefinitely.

More often than not, banks decide to bail after a homeowner has been forced out, leaving the city to cope with an unoccupied, unmaintained, vandalism-prone home.

If the bank doesn't take possession of the home, cities can come after the evicted borrowers to recoup all sorts of expenses -- even demolition costs.

If you're behind on your payments, it's always a good idea to try to get help before foreclosure becomes a reality.

Find out when to walk away from your home and how to avoid foreclosure.