In Oregon, banks have traditionally chosen to non-judicially foreclose on homes after a period of default on the mortgage payments (non-judicial foreclosures can be quicker and less costly than judicial foreclosures). There is no law that requires the bank to foreclose within a certain period of time. Indeed sometimes many months or years pass before the bank gets around to beginning the foreclosure process.
When someone files a chapter 7 bankruptcy, all liabilities and assets (including the approximate quick liquidation value of the assets) are included in the bankruptcy petition. The liabilities listed include everything, including non-dischargeable debt (among other things, certain taxes are not dischargeable, student loans are generally non-dischargeable, child/spousal support is not dischargeable).
When someone files a bankruptcy there are different exemption amounts for different assets. The exemption amount for a residence, also known as the homestead exemption, is $40,000 for single filers and $50,000 if the debtors are married, jointly own the property, and it is a joint filing.
IF all of the equity in the home is completely covered by the “senior” mortgage(s), leaving not a penny of equity to cover the next-in-line mortgage or line of credit, then in a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy the junior mortgage and/or line of credit can be stripped away.