Hatch was an early leader in taking to task illegal practices in the real estate and mortgage industries. In 2001 he filed a lawsuit against Countrywide Mortgage for not notifying borrowers of their right to cancel mortgage insurance that cost some homeowners hundreds of dollars per year. In 2003 he filed a lawsuit against a company that engaged in an equity-stripping scheme. The company purchased homes in foreclosure, promising to lease the homes back to the people who, when they couldn't afford the rent, would lose their home equity to the company. Hatch secured a court order barring the company from buying foreclosed homes. In 2005, he launched a probe of Ameriquest for aggressive mortgage lending to people with subprime credit histories. He then reached a settlement with the company requiring it to pay money to 22,000 Minnesota borrowers who were defrauded by aggressive sales practices.