i read that the lemon law applies to the private seller if i can prove the seller knew about the blown head gasket

Fraud is actionable if certain elements of proof are established by the evidence. Using the written documentation you have is a good place to begin. Contact a local lawyer - many may give you a free consultation for an hour - to discuss your specifics. Far too many variables exist in the short post you wrote for any further observation by me.

Good luck to you.

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The Ohio Lemon Law applies to the vehicle if you bought it within the first year or 18,000 miles of when it was first sold retail. After that, there's a federal lemon law that may help but that only applies against someone who has given you a written warranty on the car and that's probably not a private seller situation. But you aren't lost completely because, breach of contract or fraud may cover your situation. There's something of a long defintiion for fraud (see prior answer which covers it well), but fundamentally it's a lie that costs you money. For breach of contract you basically have to show that the car was not as it was represented to be. Sounds like you may have either or both. To find out for sure what your legal rights are, you should contact a consumer law lawyer near you. You can call the local attorney bar association and ask for a referral to a consumer law attorney. These are attorneys who practice primarily in this field. An attorney who handles general matters may not be as familiar with the specific laws that may be involved in your case. To find out more about fraud in car sales, click here: www.CarSalesFraud.com