Hi DD,
It sounds to me like you might have overlooked some red flags, which of course, are always more apparent in hindsight.
Hawkwind has a point about checking to make sure the cart wasn't stolen. I think that's where I would start. You didn't say whether the Bill of Sale stated that the cart was a 2007. If so, you could at least ask law enforcement whether there could be any misdemeanor charge. Maybe "theft by deception"? I doubt it, but it wouldn't hurt to ask and would at least alert law enforcement to the guy.
Small claims court? I don't know what it costs to file, but probably not much. I guess it's a question of whether it's worth the aggravation. I doubt you would get anything more than the difference in value between and '05 and an '07. A judge might say it's a case of buyer beware, but who knows?
It sounds like perhaps this man buys and sells golf carts regularly. I don't know whether he has or needs a license, but it might be something you could ask the county business license office about. Come to think of it, you might also want to check with The Villages Deed Compliance office-- 352-751-3912. He is not allowed to operate a business from his home.
On the other hand, if you are satisfied with the cart, you might just chalk it up to experience and forget it-- other than making sure it wasn't stolen.
Thanks for the alert, and let us know how it all comes out.
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